Wasted Time (AU/,M/L,TEEN-MATURE) Complete 7 Feb 07

[Rowedog]

PART ELEVEN

Honey, It's been a long time coming
And I can't stop now
Such a long time running
And I can't stop now
Do you hear my heart beating
Can you hear that sound
Cause I can't help thinking
And I don't look down

And then I looked up at the sun and I could see
Oh the way that gravity turns for you and me
And then I looked up at the sky and saw the sun
And the way that gravity pulls on everyone, on everyone

Baby, It's been a long time waiting
Such a long, long time
And I can't stop smiling
No I can't stop now
And do you hear my heart beating
And can you hear that sound
Cause I can't help crying
And I won't look down

And then I looked up at the sun and I could see
Oh the way that gravity turns on you and me
And then I looked up at the sun and saw the sky
And the way that gravity pulls on you and I, on you and I

Can you hear my heart beating
Can you hear that sound
Cause I can't help crying
And I wont look down

Gravity by Embrace
*****



‘Hey Tyson, you’re looking better!’

Max smiled at Serena. She had taken to calling him Mike Tyson after the whole fight with Sean. It had been a week since the fight and he and Liz had made plans to go out this weekend. He could not wait.

After the fight, the appearance of Max and Liz, both sporting large bruises had sparked a rumour that Max and Liz had got into a punch up and that Liz had won.

Serena had spread the real story and this was even more enticing to the student population. Of course, the story had been exaggerated so much that the accepted story was now that Max had walked in on Liz being beaten by her abusive boyfriend and had fought for her honour.

Max was offended by the rumours for Liz, but Liz didn’t care. She didn’t care about anything as long as she and Max were together now.

‘Hey Ser, you seen Liz?’

Serena shook her head. ‘No it’s Friday and she has lectures all afternoon. I can’t believe you haven’t memorised her schedule yet. You look worried old bean. You’re not stressing about this date are you?’

Max rolled his eyes. ‘I’m not worried. Just… nervous I guess.’

Serena grinned goofily at him and pinched his cheek. ‘You are too cute! Just be yourself Max. It’s all she wants.’

Max paused then in a moment of vulnerability, asked, ‘But what if I’m not enough? I’ve never felt this way about anyone before and I’m terrified of disappointing her. Because… I-I love her.’

Serena pressed a hand to her mouth and whispered, ‘Oh my god! I didn’t think that they made men like you anymore! Where can I find one just like you?’

Max rolled his eyes again. ‘Ser, focus! I’m asking for your help here.’

Serena shrugged. ‘Sorry Max, but you’ve got to warn me before you go turning me into goop by showing me your emotional side. I’m so happy for Liz! Listen, Liz accepted a date with you, not to mention made out with you several times. Why would she do that unless she felt a little more than friendship for you?’

‘She dated Sean for years and felt nothing for him.’

She slapped Max on the shoulder, gently while exhaling loudly. ‘Exactly! And look how well that turned out! Why on earth would she repeat that mistake, Max? Look, you may not realise this but Liz has received many offers for a date these past two weeks. Yours is the only one she’s said yes to.’

Max grinned and then his smile faded into a frown, ‘Who asked her out?’

Serena glared pointedly at him. ‘Focus, Max! The point here was that Liz feels something for you. I’m not going to betray Liz’s confidence, but just consider that I’m her roommate and she tells me a lot. Including how she feels about people. And I’m telling you that you really shouldn’t worry about Liz not liking you. Do you get my drift?’

Max’s smile returned with a brilliancy that dazzled Serena.

‘Save that smile for Liz, Max. Now give me a hug and tell me that I’m your favourite, Australian, aspiring doctor buddy.’

‘Can do.’ Max gave her a swift hug and whispered, ‘Thankyou.’

*************

‘You two crazy kids have fun!’

‘Bye Serena.’

Liz waved back at her as she looped her arm through Max’s and shook her head. That chick was crazy.

Not to mention her music! She had come into her room after a particularly strenuous lecture to find Serena dancing to a song entitled “Yo Mama” by a guy called Butterfingers. Liz had dismissed it as another catchy pop song and had lain down on her bed and closed her eyes, only to snap them open as the chorus made it’s way into her head.

‘Yo mama’s on the top of my things to do list!’

Liz had sat bolt upright on her bed and turned to Serena who was watching her reaction with dancing eyes.

‘The words get worse, just a warning.’

Starting the song from the beginning, Liz was thoroughly traumatised and amused by the song and it’s graphic content. After the song had finished Liz had nodded her head.

‘Great song. But I’ve got a better one.’ Liz paused then burst into a singsong voice repeating over and over again as she skipped around the room, ‘I have a date with Ma-a-ax.’

Serena had rolled her eyes and interrupted her, ‘Yeah, yeah, rub it in. I wish I had a hot man who was crazy for me.’

Liz’s smile had grown wicked as she replied.

‘I think that Tom is still available…’

‘I wonder why?’

Liz giggled as she ran through in her mind Serena’s next comments on Tom. They were hardly complimentary.

Max turned to her wondering what was so funny. ‘What?’

Liz smiled shyly. ‘Um, just thinking about Serena’s thoughts on Tom. They’re not very nice.’

Max smiled and laughed lightly in an attempt to rid himself of his butterflies. ‘What made you think of that?’

Liz blushed and turned slightly away. ‘Nothing…’

Max’s eyebrows raised sceptically. ‘I see.’

Max opened his car door for Liz and she jumped in. They had arranged to go somewhere really casual for their first date. Both of them didn’t want to put any more pressure on themselves so it was decided that Mexican was the way to go.

They had had to wait for the weekend for the date because Max had just started work at a book store and they had him working long hours in the first week to see if he was capable at the job.

They arrived at the restaurant and after a few awkward minutes at the start, Liz and Max slowly relaxed and began to enjoy each other’s company.

Unlike when Liz had dated Sean, Max seemed more interested in finding out about her than talking about himself. Sean would often spend an entire date switching between talking about football or about how beautiful she was. Liz liked compliments, what she didn’t like was long rambling speeches about how gorgeous she was.

It sounded contrived and just a tad obsessive. Max’s spur of the moment compliments were much more natural and one of them meant more to her than all of Sean’s flowery speeches combined.

And Max also didn’t just concentrate on her beauty, he also noticed her wit and grace and intelligence. Liz shook herself from that train of thought and concentrated back on Max. If she was going to run through all of Sean’s weaknesses compared to Max’s strengths she’d be there all night.

**********

Liz inhaled deeply as she leant her head on Max’s shoulder. They were slow dancing to a soft instrumental band on a makeshift wooden dance floor.

Liz lifted her head dreamily from Max’s shoulder, dazed from his nearness, and stared up at him. Max smiled back and tilted his head capturing her lips with his own.

Liz’s arm worked their way up from where they were resting on his arms to around his neck. Max’s muscular arms tightened their hold on her waist and Liz felt that if she died right now that her life would be complete.

Almost complete, she corrected. She had yet to make love to Max. And if that was as good as his kisses promised it to be, then she would be in for an experience and a half. Liz was very glad that her arousal wasn’t visible and that Max lacked the ability to read minds. Otherwise she would be in a lot of trouble right now.

***********

Max dropped her back off at her room and shuffled nervously as she waited by her door.

‘I had a great time tonight, Liz.’

‘Yeah me too.’

Max paused then asked softly, ‘Would you like to go out again sometime?’

Liz smiled radiantly in response.

‘I’d love to. Find out when you’re not working and we’ll work something out.’

Max smiled and moved in again for a kiss. They were kissing quite intensely when a noise down the hall interrupted them.
Max spoke first, still slightly breathless from his kiss.

‘Goodnight Liz.’

‘Goodnight Max.’

Liz turned the door handle and took a deep breath in preparing herself for Serena’s interrogation that would no doubt start once she entered the room.

‘Ok, tell me absolutely everything! I’m suffering from lack-of-romance-itis over here so you’d better make it good.’

Liz smiled and fixed her smudged lip stick in the mirror. ‘Lack-of-romance-itis? And you call yourself a med student.’

Serena stomped her foot and clenched her fists. ‘Liz! I need details! Did it go off like a frog in a sock?’

Liz paused with her hand in the air mid lip wipe. ‘That’s a very vivid mental image I’ve got thanks to you. Why would you put a frog in sock?’

‘Der! So you can watch it kick and go crazy. I thought that that would have been obvious. Never mind the frog! Was it a good date?’

Liz smiled and grabbed Serena and twirled her around the room sighing. ‘It surely was, dear Ser! Slow dancing and kissing and then a request for a second date and then more kissing against the door.’

Serena sighed and sank onto her bed with her head in her hands. ‘Aww! I wish I had a sexy bloke to pash on with.’

Liz raised her eyebrows at Serena’s choice of words.
‘Sorry, my Australian side wanted to come out and play. You know what else sucks besides my total lack of menfolk? I can’t even buy booze anymore. Apparently you have to be twenty one in this crazy country. I miss going to the pub with my mates.’

Liz patted her hand soothingly. ‘Poor, crazy, alcoholic Ser. You know you can still get drunk at a college party.’

‘It’s not the same! I haven’t been underage since I was seventeen! This totally blows. But enough of that, more about you and Max. I want to know all.’

Liz settled herself on Serena’s bed and began retelling the date leaving barely anything out.

************

Over the next month and a half Max and Liz grew closer and closer. They were often seen strolling the grounds together when they had a free moment and always sat next to each other in their Shakespeare lecture with Serena always nearby because it was the only class she had with Liz.

Although Liz wanted to go slow with Max so that their relationship was meaningful, there was only so much sexual frustration that she could take.

Those three months of summer beforehand seemed to be taking their toll as well. Being that close to Max and not being able to touch him had affected her more than she had thought. Once they had been on the brink of going further when Serena with her constant bad timing had burst into their room to tell Liz about a cute guy that she’d met.

She had abruptly turned slapping her hand over her eyes at Max and Liz’s half dressed state. Max had his shirt off and Liz’s was unbuttoned revealing her bra.

‘I am so sorry. I’m just gonna… feel my way to the door now.’

Serena fumbled her way to the door looking extremely comical with her hand outstretched in front of her and the other clapped over her eyes in an attempt to give Max and Liz some sort of privacy. As the door clicked closed Liz groaned and hit her head on her pillow.

‘That is so annoying. I hate being interrupted.’

Max smiled down at her as he helped her do up her shirt buttons that he’d hurriedly undone ten minutes before.

‘Oh well. We’ll have my room over thanksgiving when Toms away visiting his parents.’

Max and Liz both froze as Max realised what he’d just said.

‘I’m sorry Liz, I didn’t mean to imply- uh, what I meant was, I mean I don’t want to rush you or anything-’

‘Max?’

‘Yeah?’

‘Shut up.’

Max blew out a relieved breath and nodded his head. She didn’t seem mad or insulted. ‘Ok.’

‘You’re not rushing me into anything I don’t want to do. As you can obviously see from the state of our clothing right now, you’re not the only one who’s frustrated. Max, I think I’m ready to- you know- go further with you. I want to.’

Max’s eyes widened and he couldn’t control the grin that spread across his face. ‘Ok. If you’re sure?’

‘I’m sure.’

Liz smiled at him and handed him his shirt as he sat up. ‘Thanksgiving it is then.’

Three days after Serena had sprung them, Thanksgiving’s holidays started. Liz and Max had reasoned that it was too far to travel back home for a three day holiday and had opted to stay in their dorm.

Serena had absolutely no choice as to where she went and was content to mope around in her room during a foreign holiday.

‘Not that I’m knocking your day of Thanksgiving or whatever Liz, but it just doesn’t compare to the Queen’s Birthday Weekend that we have back home. A four day weekend and it isn’t even the Queen’s birthday that weekend, Liz. How cool is that?’

Liz had just nodded her head in sad acceptance.

‘Yeah, it sounds totally absurd and useless.’

‘That’s the beauty of it, Liz! A holiday celebrating something that doesn’t even happen around that time. It’s so Australian!’

Liz chuckled, shaking her head at her. But Liz was only half listening to her. Her mind was on tonight. She had spent a lot of yesterday and today, waxing, shaving, exfoliating, moisturising and plucking to be ready for tonight.

God she hoped it was as good as she thought it was going to be. She knew from exploration that Max was WELL equipped to handle the job but she just hoped that nothing happened to ruin it.

Sucking in a deep breath, she turned from the full length mirror and twirled for Serena’s opinion.

‘How do I look?’

‘Totally rootable. I’d tap you.’

Liz laughed and rolled her eyes at her. ‘You’d “tap” anything that moved, you horny bitch!’

Serena sat up in faked indignation. ‘No I wouldn’t! Case in point: Tom.’

‘You’ve got me there.’

Liz looked over her dress again. It flattered her shape and it was easy to get off. She’d made sure of that when picking from her other possible dresses that it wasn’t going to get stuck around her head or fit too snugly and prove hard to get off and kill the mood. It was spaghetti strapped and rolled easily off of her hips. She’d decided to wear her black lace panties and bra set. They were a bit uncomfortable but, hot damn they made her feel sexy!

‘Ok. I’m ready. Wish me luck?’

‘Go get ‘im tiger. Knock his socks off!’

‘Right. Socks. Got ya.’

As Liz left to meet Max at the restaurant, Serena yelled at her retreating back, ‘DON’T FORGET TO BREATHE!’

************

Max and Liz stumbled through the door of his room and slammed it shut as Max pressed Liz against it and attacked her neck with passion. Liz gasped and locked her fingers through his hair as he kissed and gently bit on the tender skin just below her jaw. Pulling away, Max returned to Liz’s mouth and kissed her greedily.

Liz returned the kiss and then kissed the line of his jaw as he lifted her and moved her to the desk. Stepping in between her thighs he clasped her hot back with his hands and held her while he kissed her hard.

Liz shrugged off the straps of her dress and Max reverently rolled it down her sides, revealing more and more of her tanned smooth skin the further he went down. When he reached her hips Liz lifted herself up with her arms and Max tugged the dress down to her ankles and over her feet onto the floor, leaving her in her lace underwear.

Max felt like he couldn’t breathe as he looked at her.

He couldn’t believe that this was really happening. He stepped between her thighs and ran his fingers through Liz’s hair as Liz ran her hands down his chest before attacking his buttons.

Max helped her finish them off and slid his shirt off and watched as Liz ran her fingers across his abs. He threw his head back and shuddered as Liz placed her hot mouth on the centre of his chest and kissed him.

Dragging her hands down his chest Max didn’t have time to think as Liz reached for his belt holding his worn jeans up.

Max kicked his pants off as they fell off and turned back to Liz, wearing only boxers. He gently ran his hands over her bare shoulder and looked into her deep chocolate eyes. What he said next was not something he had planned. He knew that it was true but he didn’t want to scare her off by moving too quickly.

‘Liz, I love you.’

Liz hissed in a breath and her eyes widened. Oh, God! He thought, I’ve scared her now. Max was completely taken aback when Liz whispered back, ‘I love you too.’

Max’s heart stuttered and he stared at Liz for a split second before grabbing her face between his hands and kissing her with all the joy he felt from her statement. There was almost no way he could top this feeling.

He couldn’t think of anything else as he picked her up and carried her over to the bed. Liz Parker loved him. Liz Parker was with him. Max was certain now that he would do absolutely anything to make sure that nothing could ever come between them ever again.

Liz woke in the morning to a steady thumping rhythm. Her eyes blinked open and she realised where she was and what that noise was. She was in Max’s room and it was Max’s heartbeat that had woken her up.

She had slept with her head on Max’s chest and his arms wrapped around her. Liz sighed contentedly as she remembered last night. Not only had Max said that he loved her but he had also given her one of the most intense orgasms imaginable. Three times.

She shook her head at her stupidity. Of course making love with Max would be completely different than having sex with Sean. She shouldn’t have worried about it, she loved Max and that’s what had made all the difference last night.

She couldn’t wait to do it again. Max’s arms tightened around her and she glanced up at him.

He smiled sleepily at her and kissed the top of her forehead.

‘Good morning, gorgeous.’

Liz smiled back at him at him, her smile wide and uncontrollable. ‘Good morning!’

Max stroked a hand down the back of her head and was about to say something when there was a knock on the door.

‘Hey Max! You awake?’

Max cursed. It was Brian from his Literature class that he talked to occasionally. What the hell did he want?

Both he and Liz got up and searched for their clothes as Max yelled back through the door, ‘Yeah. What do you want?’

‘I heard that you were here over the holiday and I wanted to see if you wanted to hang out. I’m bored and everybody else has gone out or home.’

Max rolled his eyes in supreme annoyance as he shrugged on a shirt.

‘Yeah, can we talk about this later?’

‘Oh, I see… You have company. How’s it going Liz?’

Liz held her head in her hands and shook with silent laughter as Max fumed.

‘GOODBYE BRIAN!’

Liz soothingly rubbed Max’s back as Brian’s laughter faded as he walked away.

‘It’s ok Max. Everyone knows that we’re together anyway.’

Max rubbed his hands down his face. ‘Yeah I know, but… I just don’t want them to know. I wanted this to be private and just about us. I don’t want the entire student body to make dirty jokes about us and cheapen it.’

Liz’s smile faded and she wrapped her arms around Max’s middle pulling him close and making him look into her eyes. ‘Max, nothing that anybody could ever say could cheapen last night for me. Last night was the most fantastic night of my life. I’m flattered that you want to protect me, but I don’t care that people know that we’re in love and that we’re expressing that love. It truly doesn’t bother me.’

Max sighed and ran his fingers through her hair. ‘What did I ever do to deserve your love? Must have been something incredible, whatever it was.’

‘You were you.’

Max bent down to give Liz a quick kiss but was unable to stop the kiss once he began. Liz Parker did something to him, something indescribable by words and Max never wanted it to stop.

***********

It was past lunchtime before Liz returned to her room. Max had to go to work in an hour and Liz was practically starving. She had crept down the hall hoping that no one would spot her and then dashed into her room to prepare for a shower.

Serena’s grin once she entered the room told her that she wouldn’t be having a shower for a while. Tossing Liz a chicken sandwich that she had bought from the cafe down the road, Serena settled herself on Liz’s bed waiting for details. Liz tore ravenously into the sandwich and sang Serena’s praises.

‘You are so fantastic, you know that? I am positively starving.’

Serena muffled her smile and with her tongue in her cheek replied, ‘Yeah, I thought you might be.’

Once Liz had finished her lunch-slash-breakfast, Liz gave Serena as much detail as her modesty would allow. Serena’s eyes widened as Liz recounted Max’s confession of love.

‘Wow. I bet you never saw that happening when you were fourteen.’

Liz snorted. ‘Of course not. Let’s recall that I was both frumpy and spineless and I thought that Max was far too wonderful for me.’

Serena sighed and rested her head on her chin. ‘And now you’re together and in love and we haven’t heard from Sean for ages and everything’s going great for you two… oh god, I’m jinxing it!’

Liz just laughed and gave her a hug. ‘I don’t believe in superstition Ser, but just in case you’d better touch wood.’

Serena clapped her hand over her mouth and coughed out over her laughter, ‘Didn’t you get enough of that last night?’

Liz rolled her eyes as Serena rolled on her bed with laughter.

‘And she’s laughing at her own jokes. I’m so glad that you amuse yourself. And now I,’ Liz stood up and gathered her towel and toiletries, ‘am going to have a shower.’

Serena slowed her laughter to a giggle and replied, ‘That’s probably a good idea. You smell.’

Liz blew her a kiss over her shoulder as she paused in the doorway. As she headed down the hallway she supposed that she had better ring Maria. And Sophie. And Abby. Maybe not Isabel, she’d let Maria tell her that she and her brother were together.

She had conveniently skipped over any progress that she’d made with Max when interrogated by any of those three girls. Before it had been too new to classify it as anything, but after last night there was no mistaking that they were a couple.

Maria was going to be so pissed with her. As the hot water rolled over her aching muscles, she let her mind wander back to what had caused those aches. She smiled and let her mind drift. She could worry about Maria later.

************

‘OH MY GOD! And you’re just telling me this now?!’

Liz rolled her eyes as she walked around her room picking up clothes from her floor that she needed to wash.

‘Maria, before it was just too new and private to tell you. But after last night, everything was sort of… cemented.’

‘You and Max Evans have been dating for the past month and a half and you only see fit to tell me now?!’

‘You’re repeating yourself again Maria. Did you forget to take your pills this morning?’

Liz winced as Maria’s voice came through even louder and angrier. ‘Don’t you dare, Elizabeth Parker! Now you sit yourself down and tell me everything that you’ve been holding out from your best friend. And then I may feel inclined to be happy for you. By the way, Michael says congratulations.’

At the mention of Michael’s name Liz freaked out. She hoped that he wouldn’t tell Alex. She didn’t want Alex to know just yet. Truth be told, he wasn’t the most supportive brother when it came to her relationships. He was far too protective.

‘Alright I’ll tell you everything, just make sure that you don’t tell Alex about me and Max. I want to tell him in person.’

‘When are you going to tell him?’

Liz paused and then shot out, ‘I’d thought I’d wait until after the wedding. Alex is a bit unpredictable and it’s just a drama that I don’t want to deal with.’

Maria laughed and imparted her sage wisdom. ‘You’d probably be better to get it over and done with sooner rather than later, otherwise Alex will find out another way and he’ll get pissed off about being kept in the dark.’

‘You’re right. But I can’t do it today. I’m too happy! Can you tell Izzy for me? I really don’t want her to know that her brother and I just spent all last night making love but she should know that we’re together now. Just tell her that we’re dating, please?’

‘Wimp. Alright, now dish! Is Max good in bed?’

Liz chuckled remembering last night and this morning with relish. ‘Good? That’s a large understatement!’

Liz heard Maria’s gasp through the phone. ‘What exactly happened last night?’

Liz sat down and resolved herself to repeat the story for the second time today. And knowing Sophie and Abby, she’d have to retell it two more times before she was done. Oh well, it was better to get it over and done with today then drag it out over a couple of days.

By the end of the phone call, Liz was exhausted. Maria was hard to please, Liz’s recounting of her night was far too modest and lacking in explicit detail for her and it had taken all of Liz’s Maria handling skills to avoid her persistent and graphic questions. She was glad that was over.

Now for Sophie. The second worst person to deal with. Abby would be far more gentle and modest. She was saving her till last. Out of all of her friends she would be the one who would understand why she had kept it a secret. Sucking in a large breath and resettling herself in her chair she prepared herself for Sophie.

Despite her friends’ initial reactions of anger, all were thrilled for them for finally getting together. If Liz thought that Maria was bad she should have heard Isabel on the phone to Max.

She had yelled down the phone at him, questioning him as to why she had had to hear about her twin brother’s relationship with Liz from Maria of all people. Max had had to do some pretty serious grovelling before Iz had calmed down enough to be happy for him.

Max sighed as he remembered that conversation as he trudged his way to his room. As he opened the door, his brows knit in confusion. Serena was sitting on Tom’s bed flipping through a magazine.

‘Serena! What are you doing here?’

Serena looked up from her magazine and flung her legs over the side of the bed.

‘I thought I’d come try out what Liz has been raving about all day. What do you say Max? Wanna have some fun?’

As Max stared at her in disbelief, Serena threw her head back and laughed.

‘Just kidding, you tool! Liz is sleeping in our room and I thought, being the kind and generous person that I am, that you could sleep in there with her tonight while I slept in here.’

Max exhaled and held a hand to his rapidly beating heart. ‘Jesus Christ, Ser! Don’t scare me like that! For a minute there I thought you were serious about… you know, and I thought that I was going to have to throw you out.’

Serena laughed again. ‘No way. Your Liz’s property. I would never trespass! Now go and be with Liz, while I do the one thing I thought I’d never be forced to do, sleep in Tom’s bed. I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to hear that when he gets back. If this gets out I am never going to live it down. But never mind that. Have fun Max!’

Max thanked her as he left the room and made his way to Liz’s.
It was dark and he could just make out Liz’s form on top of her bed. Kneeling down beside her, he pushed some stray hair out of her eyes and smiled gently at her as she blinked her eyes open.

‘Hey. A bit tired?’ Max whispered with just a hint of amusement in his voice.

‘Yeah, I can’t imagine why.’ Liz rolled onto her side and made room for him in her small bed.

Max kicked off his shoes and stripped himself of everything but his boxer shorts and smiled as Liz held out her arms for him.
Getting in beside her he rolled onto his back and pulled her onto his chest.

She lay there for a moment both waking up and enjoying lying in his arms. Realising that she was a bit overdressed Liz pulled off her t-shirt over her head leaving her topless with only panties on.

Max ran his hands over her bare breasts and left her skin tingling while he caressed her tongue with his, Liz thanked god that she had had the courage to buy the box of condoms from the supermarket. She was certainly going to need them.

[Rowedog]

PART TWELVE

I never knew
I never knew that everything was falling through
That everyone I knew was waiting on a queue
To turn and run when all I needed was the truth
But that's how it's got to be
It's coming down to nothing more than apathy
I'd rather run the other way than stay and see
The smoke and who's still standing when it clears

Everyone knows I'm in
Over my head
Over my head
With eight seconds left in overtime
She's on your mind
She's on your mind

Let's rearrange
I wish you were a stranger I could disengage
Just say that we agree and then never change
Soften a bit until we all just get along
But that's disregard
Find another friend and you discard
As you lose the argument in a cable car
Hanging above as the canyon comes between

Everyone knows I'm in
Over my head
Over my head
With eight seconds left in overtime
She's on your mind
She's on your mind

Everyone knows I'm in
Over my head
Over my head
With eight seconds left in overtime
She's on your mind
She's on your mind

And suddenly I become a part of your past
I'm becoming the part that don't last
I'm losing you and its effortless
Without a sound we lose sight of the ground
In the throw around
Never thought that you wanted to bring it down
I won't let it go down till we torch it ourselves

And everyone knows I'm in
Over my head
Over my head
With eight seconds left in overtime
She's on your mind
She's on your mind

Everyone knows
She's on your mind
Everyone knows I'm in over my head
I'm in over my head
I'm in over...

Everyone knows I'm in
Over my head
Over my head
With eight seconds left in overtime
She's on your mind
She's on your mind

Over My Head by The Fray
***

Max sank onto his bed and groaned. ‘Tell me again why you won’t be enjoying Christmas in Roswell with me?’

Liz smiled affectionately and straddled him, her hands either side of his head, sinking into his pillow.

‘Because. My grandparents invited our family to spend Christmas with them and they accepted. I’ll tell them about you and me when I get there. I’ll try and bring myself to tell Alex. That way you’ll be far away and will only have to listen to him abuse you on the phone and he can’t come after you physically. It’s an opportune time to tell our parents Max. Give them time to accept it and what not.’

Max heaved a sigh of acceptance and ran his hands up Liz’s sides. ‘What am I going to do in Roswell without you for two weeks?’

Liz rubbed her nose against Max’s and giggled as he rose up and kissed it.
‘I’m sure you’ll find something to do. There’s always Tess…’

Max groaned and rolled over, positioning Liz underneath him. ‘Gross, Liz! I think after suggesting something so disgusting you should distract my now disturbed brain by helping me forget it with something nice.’
‘And how should I do that?’

Max grinned at the breathlessness behind Liz’s words. Her arousal always compounded his own.

‘I’m sure that together we can come up with something.’ Liz’s hands ran up Max’s back and clutched his shirt as he kissed her and very soon all thoughts of Tess were completely non-existent.

Max and Liz had been very intimate since their first time about a month beforehand. It was getting increasingly difficult to find time alone together, but Serena was usually a good sport about it. She would often spend her time wandering the campus between classes when Liz and Max had a long enough break to make it worthwhile.

Even Tom seemed to grasp that they needed time alone and would go and visit Serena or go do something at night for a couple of hours if Liz and Max needed the room. Max’s job also compounded their difficulties with most of Max’s free time spent working.

Luckily two weeks after Liz and Max cemented their relationship, Serena found an off campus boyfriend that she would often spend the night with, giving Max and Liz those much needed nights together.

Liz loved those nights the most. While she did enjoy her time in the afternoons or mornings with Max, she preferred sleeping in Max’s arms afterwards rather than racing off to class or watching Max hurry off to work. It made her relationship seem more real if she could hold him afterwards and fall asleep with his heartbeat pounding in her ear.

She still found it difficult to believe just how great her life was at the moment, she and Max were together and were completely open with each other now. She no longer felt the need to hide the strength of her emotions and could tell him that she loved him whenever she felt like it and would have the sentiment returned.

And Max was so thoughtful, he would leave her little notes and flowers in her room to remind her of him when he was working or in lectures. Like she needed to be reminded of him. Her life was fantastic right now, but she couldn’t shake the ominous feeling that something was about to happen to take it all away from her.

Maybe she still felt guilt over Sean, but whatever the reason, she felt that she didn’t deserve to be this happy and that it would end soon.

*****************

Liz blinked back tears as she kissed Max goodbye in the airport. She was being ridiculous! He was only going to be gone for two weeks, for God’s sake! Sighing Liz watched Max’s plane take off for Albuquerque and settled in to wait for an hour for her flight to Chicago.

Thank God she had brought a book along to read. Liz groaned in frustration after fifteen minutes of trying to read the first page. She couldn’t concentrate on the book when her mind was filled with Max.

How on earth was she going to survive two weeks without him when she couldn’t even last fifteen minutes? This sucked. Finally Liz’s plane was called for boarding.

Glancing around the airport, Liz nearly hyperventilated. Sean was catching her plane! She had to have the worst luck in the world!

Luckily he seemed to be in a different row from her as they had called for rows one to ten. Liz glanced at her ticket again and thanked God that she was in row fifteen.

Once her row had been called out she made her way carefully up the plane looking for Sean. She wanted to know where he was so she could tell if he had spotted her or not.

‘Liz?’

Liz winced and turned slightly to face a shocked Sean. At least he hadn’t planned this, she reasoned. He looked just as shocked as she had been when she had spotted him in the waiting area.

‘Sean.’ Liz left her words cool and then moved on as she spotted the pile up behind her. People were getting angry behind her so she eagerly moved forward, glad for any reason not to talk to Sean.

She sat in her seat and waited for the plane to take off. Unfortunately for her, she had an aisle seat which meant that she would be very accessible to Sean if he should want to talk to her.

Plugging in her earphones and listening to some awful radio station playing Liz made a futile attempt to prevent Sean from talking to her.

The plane took off and after the seatbelt sign flicked off, Liz groaned as she noticed Sean making his way down the aisle towards her. Sighing in resignation Liz pulled the earphones out her ears as Sean waited beside her.

‘Liz. How-how are you doing?’

Liz’s eyebrows rose as he stuttered out his eager question. He was actually trying to have a conversation with her and not be a dick. This was new.

‘Great.’ There was no way in hell that she was going to make this easy for him though.

‘That’s… that’s great. I’m glad that you’re great. What are you going to do in Chicago?’

Liz’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. Why was he being so nice?

‘Christmas with my grandparents and my family.’

Sean nodded eagerly, glad to have any kind of response.

‘Yeah, I’ve been in Boston for my uncle’s funeral and I’m just heading back now.’

‘Oh.’ Liz had no response to this. She supposed that she should express sympathy but she knew that Sean didn’t like any of his extended family.

‘Yeah, look Liz… about last time we saw each other…’

Liz interrupted him before he could say anything else. ‘Sean, I REALLY don’t want to talk about it.’

‘Yeah, I know but I just wanted to apologise for my behaviour. And not just for that day but for my behaviour over the whole summer. It was rude of me.’

Liz turned and looked at him with wide, shocked eyes. ‘Are you serious?’

Sean looked into her eyes and replied, ‘Yes. I’m really sorry and I know I don’t deserve it but I just wanted to know if you’d forgive me? And I know that this is really stretching it but I just wanted to know if we could be friends… someday?’

Liz paused and looked around for an easy answer to that question. She couldn’t say yes because she felt that it would be a betrayal of Max somehow and she’d feel guilty for leading Sean on in high school if she said no. Plus he seemed sincere about it.

‘Sean… I don’t know. You and I as friends? Maybe it’s just not meant to happen. And I’m dating someone else now and I don’t know how comfortable you’d be around me knowing that.’

Sean’s face turned momentarily grim but he shook it off and replaced it with a forced smile.

‘Is it Max?’

Liz sighed and Sean quickly backtracked. ‘Sorry, that’s none of my business. Sorry, I’m trying here, I really am. I’ll give you some time to think about it. Maybe I’ll see you around in Chicago.’

Liz sat back in her seat in contemplation of Sean’s new attitude. He seemed to have really changed. Maybe she should give him a chance to be her friend. She had treated him really badly after all.

God, she was so confused. She wanted to talk to Max so badly. She’d just have to wait.

Sean went back to his seat with a smirk. He was working his way back in. If he played his cards right over the holiday season, Liz would come back to him and that dick, Max, would be nothing more than a bad memory. He couldn’t believe how well things had worked out for him.

************

Max arrived in Albuquerque airport to see Iz waiting impatiently for him. Flicking her sunglasses to the top of her head Izzy gave him a knowing smile.

Max shook his head at her good-naturedly and swept her up into a hug. Being twins gave them startling insight into each other’s body language.

Max knew that Izzy was silently commenting on his lovesick state that leaving Liz had left him in.

‘Hey, hows things?’

‘Fantastic Iz.’

Izzy took one look at Max’s face and her expression softened. ‘Being in love agrees with you Max. I’ve never seen you looking so good.’

Max grinned briefly and punched Iz lightly on the shoulder as he grabbed his suitcase off the carousel.

‘Thanks Iz. Better go and inform the parentals, huh?’

Iz raised her eyebrows in surprise. ‘Yeah, they might want to know. I can’t believe that you haven’t told them yet. Luckily I haven’t said anything about the two of you when I was talking to them. You’ve dodged a bullet there.’

Max nodded and followed his sister to the car.
Max and Izzy reached their house and Max’s Mom charged out and smothered him with a large hug.

‘Oh, Max! We’ve missed you so much! Haven’t we Phillip?’

Max’s dad extracted him from Diane’s clutches and hugged him.

‘Great to have you back Max. How was your flight?’

Max and his family wandered inside and converged around the kitchen table to have a family talk. Max was dreading the inevitable question that was coming about his love life. He could just feel Diane’s impatience to ask him.

‘So Max, have you got a girlfriend or are you content to take your time and see the sights?’

And there it was. Max sipped his juice and attempted to reply casually.

‘Uh, yeah actually. I’ve been dating Liz Parker for a while now.’

Max’s Mom and Dad exchanged shocked glances.

‘Liz Parker as in the Parkers’ gorgeous girl from the Crashdown?’

When Max nodded Phillip clapped him on the back and congratulated him.

‘Well done Max! She’s a lovely girl.’

Before Max could stop him self, he replied, ‘Well I certainly think so.’

Diane’s lips trembled as she watched Max’s face light up as he mentioned her name. Her baby boy was in love.

‘Mom…’

‘I’m sorry honey. I’m just so pleased for you! You seem really happy… I just thought that I’d have to wait a while longer before my children grew up and fell in love. Oh! I just remembered, Alex is Liz’s brother! That’s a little incestuous, guys. But then again you always did share similar tastes…’

Max and Izzy sunk their heads on their hands and laughed. Their Mom was nuts. Max sighed with relief. That had gone better than expected. He couldn’t wait to tell Liz about his parent’s reaction, she had been worried about it and nothing Max had said had eased her mind. She would be relieved by that reaction, surely.

************

Liz landed and was met by Alex in the airport. Gripped in bear hug by her brother Liz felt happy for the first time since Max had left. She had missed Alex a lot and it was great to see him again.

He had arrived the day before from NYU and had said goodbye to Izzy as she went home to Roswell the day before he had flown out.

‘Alex, I have missed you so much! How’s everything? How’s Izzy?’

Alex smiled down at her and draped his arms around her shoulders. ‘I missed you too, kiddo. Everything’s great, Izzy’s spectacular. How are things with you? How’s Max?’

Liz stiffened momentarily after he asked her about Max. How had he found out? She then relaxed as she realised that he was asking after him as a friend. Not because he knew about their relationship. What a relief that was! She still had time to tell him.

‘Uh, yeah… Max is great. And things are great with me. Really.’ Liz pulled him quickly towards the baggage carousel and searched for her bags as she spotted Sean over the other side of the airport.

‘In a rush, Lizzy?’

Liz turned and smiled nervously at Alex. She so didn’t want to see the scene that would occur if Alex spotted Sean. Better just to get going.

‘Just anxious to see Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grumpy, I guess.’

Liz sighed with relief as her suitcase made its way towards her, she grabbed it off the carousel and Alex in turn grabbed it from her and they made their way out of the airport together.

Liz relaxed as they drove out of the airport car park. She had the feeling that she had just avoided an enormous disaster. She closed her eyes as the tension drained out of her. Thank god Alex didn’t see Sean. That would have been so very, very bad.

Liz watched the scenery slide by in the car and was pleased to see the familiar sights of Chicago. Unfortunately both Sophie and Abby had opted to go to their homes in Vegas to spend Christmas with their parents.

There was only going to be her and Eric from the gang. And now Sean she supposed. She wanted to hurry up and get home so she could feign tiredness from her flight so that she could call Max. She really needed to hear his voice.

As Liz and Alex pulled in to their driveway Liz smiled. She really was glad to be back, not to mention that she’d have a room to herself for a while. If only Max was here to share it with her.

Pulling herself away from that tempting thought, Liz raced forward and threw her arms around her father’s neck, who had come out of the house as soon as he had heard the car arrive.

Liz was then passed around from hug to hug as her family congregated outside. During the hubbub Alex slipped inside and deposited her bags in her room. Liz faked a yawn after speaking with her family for fifteen minutes about her course.

Nancy watched her yawn and suggested that she go upstairs to rest before dinner. Liz eagerly agreed and slowly trudged up the stairs towards her room. Once out of sight she pelted to her room and picked up her phone from her night stand and punched in Max’s number. She waited impatiently for Max to answer.

‘Hello?’

‘Max.’ It was so wonderful to hear his voice.

‘Liz! How was your flight?’ Liz thought she’d wait for a while before dropping the Sean bombshell. Best to settle into the conversation first before bringing that up.

‘Um yeah. It was ok. How was yours?’

Liz melted as she heard Max chuckle on the other end. He had a sexy laugh.

‘Absolutely horrendous. Never ever get sandwiched between two horny old ladies who want to take a look under your shirt at your “washboard abs”. It’s just doesn’t make for a pleasant flight.’

‘I can understand their enthusiasm.’

‘Really? Liz Parker… are you trying to suggest that you like my “washboard abs”?’

Liz laughed and rolled onto her back, twirling the phone cord in her fingers.

‘I most certainly am. Those old ladies have great taste. You should have gotten their phone numbers. We could have compared notes.’

Max laughed. ‘So anything interesting happen on your flight?’

Liz coughed before replying cautiously, ‘Uh, yeah actually. Sean was on it.’

‘WHAT?’

Liz winced from Max’s yell. This didn’t bode well for her.

‘He better not have dared to talk to you, Liz!’

‘Uh, actually he did…’

‘The nerve of that guy! Did you tell him to fuck off?’

Liz winced, she knew Max wouldn’t like what she had to say. The last thing she wanted was for Max to be disappointed or mad at her.

‘Uh… no.’

‘What? Liz… how could you talk to that jerk after all he put you through?’

Max’s voice had dropped to an incredulous and disappointed whisper. Liz ran her hands over her face in frustration. Anything but disappointment. She’d take anger, swearing and yelling over disappointment any day. Anger might be scarier but at least it didn’t make her feel like pond scum.

‘He’s changed. He said he wants to be friends. He apologised to me, Max. I couldn’t just say no.’

Max ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

‘Yes you could Liz! He’s an oppurtunistic jerk who will stop at nothing to win you back! I can’t believe you fell for it!’

Liz’s anger rose up and before she could think about what she was saying she snapped back, ‘I’m not stupid, Max! I can judge for myself. And besides you weren’t even there! How could you possibly know if he was being sincere or not?’

Max couldn’t believe the turn this conversation had taken.

‘Fine! Believe him over me! That’s just great Liz! How do you know he didn’t plan the whole flight just so that he could “conveniently” bump into you?’

‘Because! How would he find out which flight I was taking? And he looked just as shocked as I was to see him. Why are you being this way?’

Max’s fear of losing Liz pushed at his self control, so he did the only thing he could do. And that was to lash out at her.

‘Why am “I” being this way? Why are “you” being this way? You’re acting like the jerk didn’t even hit you!’

‘That was an accident, Max!’

Max’s mouth dropped open. ‘I can’t believe that you just defended him over that. I am so disappointed in you right now.’

‘Why don’t you just dump me if I’m such a disappointment to you?’

‘What, so that you can run off into Sean’s arms? I don’t think so!’

Tears of hurt and shock welled in Liz’s eyes as he attacked her.

‘Is that what you really think I’d do? I can’t believe you! Has what we shared meant nothing to you?’

‘I could ask the same question of you right now.’

Liz hissed in a breath. He couldn’t possibly be questioning her love, could he?

‘Obviously what we share means more to me than it does to you if you can’t even trust me to make my own decisions. Goodbye Max.’

Max stared at his phone as the dial tone sounded in his ear. That went so badly. So, so badly.

**********

Liz would be damned if she was ringing him up to apologise. She would eat dirt first. She hadn’t been the one overreacting. He was the one in the wrong and he should be the one to apologise.

That didn’t stop her from checking her phone every ten minutes to make sure that it was still connected and working. She flicked open her cell phone for the seventh time in half an hour to check to see if she’d missed a call. Alex’s attention was distracted from the movie that they were watching as Liz checked her phone again.

‘Why do you keep doing that?’

Liz jumped guiltily. She still had yet to tell Alex about Max, but after a week with no contact from Max, she wasn’t sure if there was anything to inform him of anymore.

‘No reason. Nervous twitch.’

‘Well stop it. You’re driving me nuts.’

Liz nodded and shoved her phone back in her pocket. She had had the most miserable Christmas ever and it was all Max Evans’ fault. Why did he have to be so stupid?

She had been right about Sean. He had yet to make an improper move towards her. She and Eric had hung out with him a lot over the break and he had been the perfect gentleman. She couldn’t wait to rub that in Max’s face. If he would ever talk to her again.

For the millionth time in the past week, Liz felt like bursting into tears. Being in love sucked. Why hadn’t he called? Didn’t he care? Liz’s phone rang and Liz reached into her pocket with wild enthusiasm. Was Max finally calling?

‘Hello?’ Liz’s voice with breathless with hope, that was very quickly and very cruelly dashed as Sean responded.

‘Hey, Liz.’

‘Oh, hey.’ Liz couldn’t keep the disappointment out of her tone but Sean either ignored it or didn’t notice it.

‘Hey, Eric’s coming over for a movie later tonight. You in?’

Liz looked cautiously over at Alex who was engrossed in the movie. She hadn’t told him about her friendship with Sean because she knew that he’d overreact like Max had done. It was easier to keep him in the dark.

‘Sure, what time?’

‘See you at my place at eight?’

‘Fine. See you.’

Alex turned to her as she hung up with half of his attention on the movie and asked, ‘Who was that?’

‘It was just Eric. I’m going out tonight.’

‘Ok cool.’

Liz trudged upstairs and kicked the railings to release her anger. Her life sucked right now.

Sean smiled as he hung up. Tonight was the night. Liz would be his again after tonight.

*************

Liz rolled up to Sean’s house in her car and knocked on the door.
Sean answered and smiled at her. She didn’t return the smile, she was still too upset over Max.

‘Where’s Eric?’

Sean didn’t even flinch at her uninterested tone. He barely registered it. He was too excited about what he was going to do. He was going to get the love of his life back, he couldn’t wait.

He gestured to his bedroom and Liz entered. Just after Liz noticed that Eric was nowhere in sight and that she hadn’t seen his car anywhere, Sean slammed the door shut and advanced on her.

Sean pushed Liz against the wall and forced his lips on hers and tried to slip his tongue into her mouth. Liz turned her head to the side and tried to push him away, but he was too strong.

As Sean’s hands moved to grope her breasts Liz looked wildly around for help and did the only thing she could think of to make him stop. She rammed her knee up into his crotch, but the impact was deadened by the limited movement that her long skirt gave her.

Sean doubled over slightly in pain, giving Liz time to flee to the other side of the room. Unfortunately Sean regained his composure and stood between her and the door.

‘Liz, I’m so sorry-’

‘You know what Sean, just save it! You are so poisonous! No wonder I felt sick whenever you touched me.’

‘Liz-’

Liz threw up her hand violently and halted him yet again. ‘No! I am not finished! You’ve had more than your say over the past few months and it’s my turn now! I am not in love with you! I never have been and I definitely never will be! I am with Max now and yet you still try to force me to get back together with you. Not only are you arrogant, but you also have no morals and you’re REALLY crap in bed. I felt more from a hug with Max than everything put together when I was with you. You are the most heinous, sickening excuse for a human being that I have ever met. Max is my soul mate. You can in no way compare to him! He is a million times better than you in every capacity known to mankind. I should have listened to him. God I am so stupid to actually believe that you’d changed! Never, ever come near me again Sean. I despise you.’

Liz's words flew out of her mouth and she didn’t even have time to think about them. She let four years of resentment pour out of her and couldn’t care less about the effect it was having on Sean.

She felt great. Liz headed for the door after she had finished, feeling freer than she had in a long time.

Sean went to grab her as she went past but Liz pulled away and cleanly punched him in the jaw.

‘I am going straight to the police, Sean. I warned you about the restraining order and now I don’t have any qualms about putting one on you.’

Liz held her head high and strode quickly from the room out to her car ignoring Sean’s requests to stop and roared off leaving Sean standing in the middle of the street.

Liz parked outside the police station and bit back her tears. She was so stupid. She had believed Sean when she knew what he was. And to make matters worse, Max was mad at her and she didn’t know if he would forgive her.

Everything was so screwed up. She hated Sean so much. There were no words to describe how much she hated him right now. She sighed as the anger redirected itself towards her. She had been the one who had screwed up. She hadn’t trusted or listened to Max. She hadn’t even trusted her own misgivings about Sean.

This situation was entirely of her own making. Liz leant back in her seat and sobbed. She sobbed until no more tears could come and then finally calmed down. She took deep breaths in and calmed herself down.

She was going to be ok. She would apologise to Max and he would have to take her back. Otherwise, she would die. There was no other option that Liz could see.

***********

Sean walked slowly back inside his house. That had not gone at all the way that he had planned. He hadn’t meant to be so forceful with her, but when he looked at her he just couldn’t help it. He loved her so much that he could barely think straight.

He had once had her and couldn’t understand why he couldn’t just get her back. He had thought that if he got her alone tonight that the sexual attraction they felt would take over and she would come back to him. He had once been so sure that she had returned those feelings.

But now… after the things she’d said, he wasn’t sure at all. In fact he was certain that she had never loved him. He looked back over what he had done tonight and the full force of his actions hit him.

He had betrayed her trust and had manipulated her into a situation that she clearly wanted no part of. He had been forceful and almost violent with her. He wasn’t worthy of her love. As this realisation hit him, Sean sank onto his bed and cried.

[Rowedog]

PART THIRTEEN

When Liz’s phone rang as she sat in her car trying to work up the courage to enter the Police Station, she jumped with shock. As she cautiously looked at her phone her heart leapt in her chest.

Max was calling her! She could beg for forgiveness!

‘Max!’

‘Liz. I’m sorry. I am so sorry. I was jealous and not thinking clearly and I know that you would never cheat on me with Sean, but I just couldn’t trust him. I never should have said those things to you, but I was just so scared of losing you. But if you think that he’s really changed then I can get past my jealousy.’

Liz took a deep breath in. God she loved him so much right now.

‘Max, you were right. He is just an oppurtunistic dick. He tried to-’

Liz bit back another sob, this time it was from relief. Max wasn’t angry with her anymore and she had finally realised Sean’s manipulative and caustic personality.

On the other end of the line Max freaked out. His mind running through endless, terrifying possibilities of what Sean could have done to her. He had never felt so helpless and useless in his life.

He wanted to be there, to soothe her and protect her from Sean. He knew that guy was a total asshole. He had spent the past week kicking himself over the way that he’d handled their last conversation.

After his anger and jealousy had subsided Max had realised just how hurtful some of the things he’d said to her had been and although he may have been right about some of them, he shouldn’t have talked to Liz that way or just dismissed her opinion completely.

He wanted to give her time to calm down and maybe forget about their fight so he had waited, very impatiently. After a week had passed he had given up hope of Liz calling him and had decided to just do it, even if she didn’t want to speak to him he resolved to keep trying until she would give him the chance to apologise.

‘Liz? Baby… did he hurt you?’

As the silence lengthened Max felt like he couldn’t breathe. What if Sean had done something terrible to her? Max had never needed an answer so badly before.

Sniffling, Liz replied shakily, ‘No, he-he tried to kiss me and he pushed me up against a wall, really hard, and then he groped me. So I kneed him in the balls and punched him in the jaw and then fled.’

Half of Max sighed with relief that Liz hadn’t been raped or beaten, as the other half of him roared with murderous rage that that creep had dared to try and force himself onto his girlfriend. How dare that fucking asshole try and touch someone as perfect as Liz? Max was beyond furious.

‘God. That fucking creep!’

‘I’m so sorry Max. It’s all my fault.’

Max’s mind went blank as he tried to comprehend that last statement. She couldn’t possibly blame herself for what had had happened, could she?

‘What? Liz, how could any of this be your fault?’

‘I didn’t listen to you. You knew that he couldn’t be trusted and even I knew that and yet I still gave him the benefit of the doubt. I’m just so stupid.’

Max shook his head in disbelief over how Liz could get it so wrong. ‘Liz, don’t beat yourself up over it. You wanted to look for the best in him and believed him when he told you that he’d changed. All this proves is that you’re the wonderful, trusting person that I fell in love with and that he’s a manipulative fuckhead who takes advantage of people. There’s nothing wrong with trusting people, Liz. Where are you right now?’

Liz warmed at his words, she loved him so much. He had forgiven her and was on her side again, like he was always meant to be.

‘I’m outside the Police station, I’m about to get a restraining order.’

Max let out the breath he’d been holding. Thank god she was treating this seriously.

‘I wish I could be there with you. You shouldn’t have to go through this alone. Call Eric. See if he’s available. I’m sure he’d help you.’

‘Thanks Max. I’ll do that. I love you. So much.’

‘I love you too, Liz. I’m so sorry that this happened to you, baby. You’re the last person in the world that this should happen to. I’ll talk to you afterwards, ok?’

‘Ok, bye Max.’

‘Bye Liz.’

Liz hung up and dialled Eric’s number. Eric was not going to like this at all.

As per predicted Eric took it almost as bad as Max had. Except that Eric had put faith in his friend. His sense of disappointment and disillusionment was keen and Liz had nearly cried when she had seen how badly he had taken it.

He was putting on a brave face for Liz to try and help her through, but it was clear that he wasn’t coping well at all. In the end Liz had had to comfort him.

Eric, like Liz, blamed himself. He had been Sean’s closest friend and yet he still hadn’t noticed Sean’s real nature. It tore him up inside that he could be so close to someone and read them so wrong.

Liz’s family had been dismayed to find that Sean had tried to force himself onto Liz, they hadn’t heard about Sean’s obsessive attempts to get her back or Max’s fight with him, so this was a large shock to them.

Liz couldn’t wait till she got home and into her room away from her concerned family. She loved them, but they weren’t who she wanted to talk to. She wanted, no, she needed, Max. Once alone, Liz called Max’s number. He picked up after one dial.

‘Liz?’

‘Max.’ It was so good to hear his voice after going a week without it. It calmed her down and put her at ease straight away. Things had been pretty tense at the Police Station and Liz really needed to be calmed down.

Settling onto her back Liz talked to Max for a good hour. Once she had told him all that she knew about the restraining order she had turned the subject onto a much lighter topic. About how much she missed him and wanted to touch him. His desire to see her didn’t leave her wanting either. Liz hung up with a dreamy smile on her face. Everything was ok again.

************

Max walked lightly into the kitchen in the morning with a spring in his step. Sean was out of Liz’s life, he and Liz had made up and Liz was ok after a frightening ordeal. Everything was going ok. Diane looked at Max as he cheerfully poured his Cheerios into his bowl.

‘So, I take it that you and Liz got over your fight?’

Max stopped mid pour and looked at his mother.

‘That’s really creepy, that whole reading minds thing that you do. It’s kinda frightening.’

‘I’m your mother, I’m meant to know when you’re unhappy and when you’re not. And I’m always supposed to know if there’s a girl involved.’

Max rolled his eyes at his mother. ‘Yeah, everything’s fine now. We just disagreed over something, but now that something is all over.’

Diane leant against the bench next to Max and picked a dry cheerio out of his bowl and ate it.

‘Want to be a little less vague?’

‘No,’ Max slapped her hands away as she reached for another piece of cereal. ‘and get your own breakfast.’

‘Well, I’m just glad that you’ve stopped moping. You almost ruined Izzy’s Christmas.’

Max snorted and gave his mother a pointed look. ‘Too many decorations on the tree almost ruins Izzy’s Christmas. “The tree is the centre of the entire Christmas experience, Max! If it’s not perfect then how can you expect your holiday to be perfect?” Mom, how on earth did you and dad raise one child to be so normal and on the other hand raise a Christmas Nazi at the same time?’

Diane shrugged. ‘Maybe she’s the evil twin.’

Max laughed loudly at his mothers suggestion but stiffened when he heard Izzy’s voice behind him.

‘Joviality in the morning, Max? I take it that the fight with Liz is over?’

Max shook his head in disbelief. ‘How does everyone know that we’ve been fighting?’

‘Because, you moped around the house for an entire week. You were very non-conducive to the Christmas spirit.’

Max snorted and exchanged glances with his mother. ‘Well, I’m very sorry that my argument with Liz nearly ruined Christmas for you, Izzy. That was not my intention.’

Izzy patted him on the shoulder. ‘That’s ok,’ her voice dropped to a calmly threatening tone as she added, ‘Just don’t do it again.’

Max whistled at Izzy’s frightening nature. ‘Does Alex know what he’s in for with you?’

Izzy smiled sweetly and stole Max’s bowl of Cheerios. ‘I sincerely doubt it.’

*************

Liz sat down at the kitchen bench in a good mood the next morning, much to her family’s shock. Not knowing about Max, they found Liz’s good mood after what had happened last night a little troubling.

‘Good morning.’

Liz’s mother looked at her with worried eyes. ‘Honey, are you ok? I know that last night wasn’t great and it’s ok. Really. You don’t have to protect us from how you’re really feeling. We can handle it.’

Liz’s eyes widened. Whoops. Was her good mood that apparent?
Obviously, if her parents were commenting on it. Liz looked around and sighed with relief that Alex was still in bed. She wanted to tell him separately. Grumpy was also in bed, getting his much needed rest. Oh, well. Claudia could have that dreaded job.

‘Mom. I’m fine about Sean. I’m over it. And before you say anything, there’s something I have to tell you.’

Liz’s parents and her grandmother looked at her expectantly. She took a deep breath in, they might not like that she had kept this a secret.

‘Um, you know how I’ve been kinda quiet and moody this past week?’ Liz paused as her family nodded. ‘Well, I was having a fight with my boyfriend and last night we made up. Thus my good mood this morning.’

Liz waited with baited breath, dreading her family’s reaction. She was shocked by Claudia’s reaction.

‘Pay up Nancy. I told you it was a fight with a boyfriend. Never take on the master, you’ll just lose.’

Liz’s eyes widened as Nancy sighed and pulled a ten dollar bill from her wallet and handed it to Claudia.

‘You took bets on what was upsetting me? That’s so… callous!’

‘We knew that something was upsetting you but that you wouldn’t tell us until you were ready. So in the mean time we had to do something, so we made bets.’

Liz shook her head at her family. They were hopeless.

‘So Liz, who is this guy? Does he go to Harvard?’

‘Yeah, actually he does, but that-’

‘How did you meet him? Is he in your course?’

Liz groaned at the interruption, she wished they would just let her tell the story without the questions.

‘No. He’s not in my course. He’s pre med. And I’ve known him all my life.’

Liz looked at her mother and father expectantly who merely exchanged confused glances. Liz sighed, they were so thick. ‘It’s Max. Max Evans is my boyfriend. We’ve been dating for a while and last week we had a fight over Sean. Turns out he was right. Sean is just an oppurtunistic asshole that I could never be friends with.’

Nancy and Jeff’s eyes widened. ‘Max? Honey… he’s such a nice boy. I’m happy for you.’

Liz’s eyes narrowed at her mother suspiciously, ‘So you approve?’

Liz’s held in breath released with a whoosh as Nancy and Jeff nodded. ‘He’s a great kid, Liz. Why wouldn’t we approve?’

‘Because you didn’t like Sean. But then again, after last night I guess that that’s understandable.’

‘Yeah. That guy rubbed me the wrong way. But, I’ve always thought that Max was a nice boy. Glad to see that you’re taste in boyfriends has improved Liz.’ Liz beamed at her father and praised the lord that her parents had taken her news better than her friends had.

Claudia, who had remained silent for most of the exchange asked with a thoughtful look, ‘Is this the same Max whom you were love with when you left Roswell all those years ago?’

Liz blushed, ‘Yeah, he’s that Max.’

Claudia grinned at her. ‘Way to go Liz!’

Liz laughed and then had to spend the next half an hour fending off personal questions from Claudia. Luckily for her it was an odd day that Alex got up before 11 o’ clock so the questions had stopped well before he arrived downstairs.

***********

Max walked down the street towards the Crashdown with his heart glowing. He had just spoken to Liz and he felt happy knowing that she was really ok and dealing with the Sean incident and that she had told her family about him.

Max was so wrapped up in his contemplation of Liz that he missed noticing Tess, who was walking straight towards him with a hungry look in her eye. Tess, much to Max’s surprise and horror, threw her arms around him and tried to kiss him. He pushed her away roughly and was dismayed that she didn’t take that as a rejection.

‘Max! Honey! I have missed you so much! I’ll bet the Harvard girls aren’t any fun. How about I show you a good time?’

Max winced and then drew himself up to face Tess. ‘Apart from the fact that I’d rather die than do anything with you Tess, I’m pretty sure my girlfriend wouldn’t like it if we went off to have some “fun”.’

Max’s disgusted look would have turned most girls away but Tess merely scowled then pouted. ‘You have a girlfriend, Max? Who is this bitch who stole you from me?’

Max’s eyes flashed with rage but Tess failed to notice the danger signs.
‘That “bitch” that you’re referring to just so happens to be the love of my life. And how could she possibly steal something from you that was never yours?’

Max pushed past a stunned Tess and called smugly over his shoulder to her as he entered The Crashdown, ‘Oh. Her name is Elizabeth Parker, just in case you were wondering.’

Max laughed as Tess fumed silently on the sidewalk. That was worth the price of the plane ticket just to see her face just at that moment. Max spun around as a hand tapped him on the shoulder.

‘Nice little show you put on for us there, Max. I loved every minute of it.’

Max smiled and greeted Kyle warmly.

‘So, Abby told me about you and Liz. Congratulations, man!’

Max and Kyle moved over to a booth and took a seat as they talked.

‘Thanks Kyle. It’s going really well. Did you just get in? Are you and Abby still together?’

Kyle grinned and leaned back in his seat with a smug smile.

‘Yep. I just flew back from Vegas where I spent Christmas with Abby’s family and by extension, Sophie’s family. So Abby and I are definitely still together. Although I don’t know… I’m tempted to take Tess up on the offer she gave me the other day.’

Max laughed at the sarcasm in Kyle’s voice and they were soon engrossed in catching up that they didn’t notice Michael and Maria enter.

‘Max! Did you really tell Tess in the middle of the street that Liz was the love of your life and that you would die before you touched another woman?’

Max frowned puzzled by Maria’s question. ‘How on earth did you hear that slightly exaggerated story? It only happened five minutes ago!’

Michael shrugged and greeted Kyle before replying, ‘It’s a small town. Nobody has anything better to do but gossip.’

Max rolled his eyes and sank his hands in his head. ‘If my parents hear that I called Liz the love of my life I’ll never hear the end of it.’

‘Poor Max. Doesn’t it just suck to be in love?’ Maria scowled at Michael after he said that and Max and Kyle laughed. He had missed his friends. He just wished that Liz could be here with him.

***********

Liz had truly meant to tell Alex but the opportunity hadn’t arisen over the rest of the break. She hadn’t had any time alone with him as her extended family had come over to help celebrate the holiday with them.

She was forced to go on many sight seeing tourist excursions with a distant aunt or a thrice removed cousin. She was exhausted and really looking forward to going back to Boston by the time her return flight came around.

She really missed Max and couldn’t wait to see him again.

Liz bounced up and down impatiently on the balls of her feet as people slowly dawdled out of the plane. Come on! Hadn’t they heard of the old adage: push, you’ll get there quicker?

Liz finally got off the plane and practically ran the rest of the way. She stopped once she reached the waiting area and looked wildly around for Max.

She squealed as she saw him standing ten feet away from her looking absolutely drop dead sexy. How on earth could he get so much sexier in two weeks? Perhaps she was suffering from the old “absence makes the heart grow fonder” slogan and had been immune or at least used to his handsomeness before she left.

She dropped her backpack and ran to him opening her arms and leaping into his also outstretched, waiting arms. He caught her flying leap and held her tightly to him. God, it was so good to see him again, to hold him again.

She dropped to the ground but she didn’t want to let go of him just yet. Luckily for her he didn’t seem too eager to let her go either. So they stood in the airport holding each other in a tight embrace.

Liz felt so safe in his arms. She let all the fear that had built up since Sean’s attack go and relaxed into him.

‘Liz, I missed you so much. You have to promise me never, ever to go away without me again!’

Liz raised her head from his chest and beamed at him. ‘I missed you too. I had the worst Christmas ever.’

Max smiled down at her and bent to kiss her. He drew away and with a knowing smile asked, ‘Did you mope around the house too?’

Laughing, Liz nodded. ‘My family made bets on what was wrong with me. Except for Alex. He is so unperceptive it’s frightening.’

‘Did you get the chance to tell him?’

Liz sighed and stamped her foot. ‘No! Stupid extended, distant family. They were always getting in the way. Now I have to wait until Spring Break to break the news to him. Or I could just tell him over the phone…’

Max winced at how that would pan out. ‘Maybe get Izzy to tell him.’

Liz shook her head. ‘There’s no way I’d ask Izzy to get involved. She really doesn’t need the head ache of dealing with Alex. That should be my job. I should have told him in the first week, but-’

Liz broke off and coughed as she realised what she was about to say.

‘But what?’

Max stared at Liz in confusion, he knew that they had been fighting in that first week but he didn’t understand why Liz hadn’t told him.

‘But I wasn’t sure if there was anything to tell him. You weren’t talking to me and I thought that you might not want to be with me anymore.’

Max held Liz’s chin and raised her face up so that her eyes met his. ‘That is not possible. There is no way in hell that I would ever not want to be with you. Are we clear?’

Liz raised her hand in mock salute and replied, ‘Sir, yes Sir!’

Max laughed and kissed her saluting hand before wrapping his arm around her waist, picking up her backpack and steering her towards her suitcase. Liz was back with him where he could keep her safe and loved. Max was certain this time that he would do a better job than before.

He had hated their fight and was thrilled that things were back to the way they were before. Life was good again.

Liz was greeted by a squealing Serena once she entered her room.

‘Hey Ser! How was your first white Christmas? And more importantly how was Mr Boyfriend’s family?’

Serena waved off her questions impatiently

‘Yeah, a cold Christmas was interesting and Trey’s family were really nice, except they thought that I was a FOREIGN, foreign student and they spoke really loudly and slowly to me thinking that I couldn’t understand English. Trey thought it was the funniest thing he had ever heard (he is such an arsehole) and I was forced to tell them that I was Australian not an Austrian. But aside from that they were cool. How was yours?’

Liz shot a look at Max and he ducked out, leaving Liz to discuss Sean while he grabbed her suitcase.

‘Well, that is a long story…’

By the time she had recounted her Sean experience Serena’s mouth was hanging open.

‘And I thought my Christmas was interesting. You really topped my Australian/Austrian story. Geez Liz! Your life is so much more dramatic than mine!’

Liz tipped her head in agreement. ‘You know it never used to be. I had the most boring life imaginable up until last summer.’

Max re-entered the room at this point and shook his head at her. ‘Nothing about you is boring, Liz.’

Serena sighed and put her hand to her heart. ‘Aww! Max is so sweet! Why can’t my boyfriend be like that? Next time I see Trey I’m going to beat him up for not being more like Max. And then I’m going to tease him for watching High School Musical when he thought that I was asleep.’

Liz and Max both laughed at Serena’s dramatics and Liz felt compelled to defend Trey.

‘There’s nothing wrong with High School Musical. I like it.’

Serena shook her head and tssked at her. ‘Liz, Liz, Liz. How the mighty have fallen. Musicals creep me out, I mean they don’t even pretend to be realistic. What sort of person leaps onto a table, spontaneously breaks into song and then dances professionally in synch with other spontaneous singers and dancers? A person on drugs, that’s who! Liz, I’m convinced that Musicals promote drug use in young children.’

‘You had me up until the drugs part and then your logic completely ran out.’

Serena lightly clapped Liz on the face and stared at her, ‘Think about it, you’ll see that I’m right.’ before moving out the door singing badly while shaking her ass.

‘Yeah we’re gonna bop, bop, bop straight to the top. Slip and slide and ride that rhythm…’

Liz and Max laughed as her voice trailed off down the corridor. She was an interesting girl, that was for sure.

Max glanced at his watch briefly before sidling close to Liz.

‘You know there’s two hours until dinner…’ Max said suggestively while stroking Liz’s hair.

Liz turned to him and raised her eyebrows before walking to the door and closing it. It was time for a proper welcome home.

************

Liz and Max spent the next couple of months getting closer and closer to one another. She had finally plucked up the courage to tell Alex the truth.

Sort of.

She had told him that she and Max had started dating casually and had left it at that. She would tell him later on in Spring Break that it had progressed into more.

All in all he hadn’t taken it too badly. He just muttered that he was better than Sean so he guessed that it was ok.

Liz and Max had heard from Eric that he was holding a party over spring break and that Sophie, Abby and Kyle were all definitely coming.

He was trying to get everyone together from over the summer and was working on Izzy and Alex. Liz told Eric that when he talked to Maria and Michael to offer her Grandma’s house as a place to stay.

Grandma Claudia had always loved being surrounded by people and would love to have Liz’s and Alex’s friends that she’d heard so much about to stay over Spring Break. This also solved Eric’s problem as he was quickly running out of places in his house for the out of towners to stay in.

Liz was so excited about Spring Break. It promised to reunite the gang that she missed so badly. While she was glad to have Max with her and she had made some great friends at her school, they couldn’t replace the group that she had left behind.

While Liz was musing at her desk trying to complete her assignment, Serena burst into the room and collapsed on her bed.

‘Liz, I’m bored. Tell me again about the time that Sean was really feral and tried to kiss you and so you kneed him in the goolies and clocked him one and then told him to get stuffed.’

Liz laughed and turned to her, bemused. ‘Sounds like you can tell it better than I can.’

‘Yeah. I do tell it better. You know I had to sit behind that smelly kid in organic chemistry today. You know, the bogan with the mullet? And he turned to me and said he liked my ears. He said that they were pretty, Liz. I wouldn’t have thought that anybody’s ears would come under the classification of attractive.’

Liz chuckled. She wasn’t going to tell Serena that she was attracted to Max’s ears. Instead she changed the subject.

‘Bogan. I’m so glad you taught me that word.’

‘It’s great isn’t it?’

‘Yeah. I can’t believe that Trey’s stealing you away to Fort Lauterdale for Spring Break. I thought that place was clichéd and losing popularity.’

Serena shrugged. ‘Trey wants me to have the typical American college experience and apparently the Fort’s the place to be. Sorry I can’t come to your bud’s awesome party. But then again I’d only know you and Max there so it would be a little intimidating.’

‘I guess you’re right.’

Liz stood up from her desk and stretched. Enough work, now it was time to get ready. She and Max were going to see a movie together and she wanted to look pretty.

‘Hot date?’

‘You know it.’ Liz pulled out her jeans and her clingy red top that she knew Max liked. She was going to get lucky tonight.

‘You look like a total spunk rat.’

Liz smiled benignly at her for the eloquent compliment. She was going out with Max. She felt like a “total spunk rat”.

*********

Liz turned her phone on after she left the cinema. She couldn’t stand people who didn’t have consideration for other people.

She noticed that she had one missed call from Maria. Moving away from Max she held the phone up to her ear as he tried to kiss the other unoccupied ear. Maybe wearing the red top hadn’t been such a great idea.

‘Maria? You rang?’

‘Yeah, I was just ringing to see if your offer was still standing. About your Grandma’s place for Spring Break, I mean.’

Liz squealed into the phone, ‘You’re coming?’

‘Yeah me and the Michael man. We’ve gotta rock Eric’s party. Is it cool with your Grams?’

Liz scowled at Max as he ran his hands across her stomach and kissed her jaw. She was having a conversation here!

‘Yeah, I’ve already asked. Grams loves company and especially young people’s company, she’d love to have you over.’

‘Liz are you ok? You sound a little… breathless.’

Liz bit back a squeal as Max bit her neck.

‘No! I’m fine…’

‘Oh… I see. MAX, STOP WHATEVER YOU’RE DOING RIGHT NOW!’

As Maria’s yell came piercing through the phone, Max jumped guiltily away causing Liz to burst into hysterics.

‘You scared the crap out of him Maria!’

‘Good. The horndog can wait while I have a talk with my best friend. So are you sure that’s fine?’

‘Totally. I’ll see you in Chicago. I can’t wait!’

‘Me neither! Love you babe.’

‘Love you too.’

When Liz had ended the call Max turned to her shyly.

‘Can I have my girlfriend back now?’

Liz tilted her head and offered him her neck.

‘Go ahead.’

Max grinned and reached for her but then hesitated as he noticed the public nature of where they were.

‘You wanna head back to my place?’

Liz smiled and grabbed his hand. ‘I thought you’d never ask.’

[Rowedog]

PART FOURTEEN

Max sucked in a noisy breath and shifted from one foot to another as he stood holding Liz’s right hand in front of her grandparent’s house.

Who was he kidding? This place was a mansion. And he certainly wouldn’t fit in here, Liz’s grandparents would take one look at him and decide that he wasn’t good enough for their wonderful granddaughter.

He was more nervous than he had been for their first date and he’d been very nervous for that one.

They had just flown in for spring break and Max had been freaking out for the entire day before the plane trip up until now. He knew that Liz’s Grandparents were rich and that they would expect the best for their granddaughter.

He knew that his family’s middle class status and his father’s small law firm in Roswell would mean little to them given what they had. They probably expected him to be another Sean, rich with family connections and a large trust fund.

He wished that he was anywhere but here right now.

Liz smiled reassuringly at him and raised the joined hands to kiss the back of his hand.

‘Don’t worry about it Max. They’ll love you because I love you. And if they don’t then I’ll be unbelievably rude to them. Ok?’

Max let out a nervous half laugh and Liz raised her hand and knocked the large knocker on the door. After half a minute the door creaked open and Liz’s grandmother peered out of the doorway.

‘Liz!’

Liz let go of Max’s hand as she embraced her grandmother enthusiastically. As Liz and her grandmother hugged Max shoved his hands in his pockets and shifted from one foot to another again, unsure of what to do.

Liz let go and grabbing Max’s left hand once again and wrapping the other arm around his arm whilst resting her chin against his bicep, she introduced her grandmother to him.

‘Grandma, this is Max. My boyfriend.’

Claudia looked intently at the uneasy young man before her as she shook his free hand, from Liz’s affectionate behaviour she reasoned that Liz had serious feelings for him.

Noting his nervousness, Claudia rightly guessed that he was desperate to make a good impression and from the smile that the two shared as Claudia welcomed him warmly into her home, he was desperately in love too.

All of these things cemented Claudia’s good opinion of him. She hadn’t liked Sean because he had been cocky and arrogant when he had met them, as if assured of a good reception from Liz’s grandparents because of who his parents were.

Not to mention that Liz had looked unhappy and bored most of the time when she was with Sean.

Claudia smiled as she watched Liz lead Max down the hall towards the kitchen where Grumpy Joe was reading his newspaper. Liz looked poised to defend Max at any moment, her protective nature obviously in overdrive as she prepared herself for a confrontation with Joe.

As they entered Joe looked up from his paper and surveyed them momentarily, his eyes flicking to Claudia behind them who gave him the thumbs up and mouthed “I like him” to Joe.

Joe smiled and rose from his seat to engulf Liz in a bear hug. If Claudia liked Liz’s boyfriend then he was sure to too. Claudia was an excellent judge of character and he often relied on her judgment when meeting new people.

Stepping out of his hug he warmly kissed Liz’s forehead and said with a proud smile as he viewed his granddaughter, ‘It’s fantastic to see you again Liz. We’ve missed having your company in this big, empty house.’

Joe then turned to Max and stuck out his hand to shake Max’s, much to Liz’s surprise. He hadn’t shaken Sean’s hand, he had only looked over his paper at him and muttered a sullen hello.

‘You must be Max, Lizzy’s boyfriend. Pleasure to meet you.’

Liz’s jaw dropped as her Grumpy warmly greeted Max. She had been expecting a stand off, not a friendly welcome.

‘It’s a pleasure to meet you too, sir.’

Joe waved his hand and snorted. ‘Please, call me Joe. Sir is far too formal.’

Liz gaped and turned to her grandmother with a querying look, Joe had insisted that Sean call him sir to enforce respect, this friendly act was way out of character for her Grumpy.

Claudia merely shrugged and smiled at Liz. Turning back she noticed that Max had relaxed somewhat and that Joe had begun a conversation with Max about his course in Harvard.

Joe looked suitably impressed when Max had told him that he wanted to become a doctor.

Gesturing for them to sit down at the kitchen bench, Liz took the seat in between her grandpa and Max. She still didn’t trust Joe’s motives and wanted to let her Grumpy know that he would have to come through her if he wanted to get to Max. Sean she had let fend for himself, but Max was different.

‘So, tell me, how did you two meet? At Harvard?’

Liz shook her head. ‘No Grumpy. We grew up together, pretty much. Max comes from Roswell and we went through school together, until high school that is. In fact, Alex is dating Max’s sister, Isabel.’

Joe nodded and then recognition dawned on him. So this was the Max that Lizzy had been in love with when she had left Roswell. From what he could tell, Liz had good taste.

He seemed like a nice, bright boy who was desperate to make a good impression on him. Seeing the way he looked at Liz, Joe was willing to give him that good opinion.

Often when Sean had looked at Liz his gaze had been frighteningly possessive, however Max’s love that shone through his eyes seemed innocent and humble. Joe felt himself concurring with Claudia’s assessment of Max.

He was a good kid in love with his granddaughter and he definitely made her happy. That was all he needed to know.

Liz felt herself slowly relaxing as Claudia and Joe gently conversed with Max and herself. It seemed that they were actually sincere about it too. After Sean’s reception in this house she wasn’t sure what to expect, but she certainly hadn’t foreseen this. Sean must just bring out the hatred in her family, she surmised. Joe yawned and got up from his stool to take his five o’clock nap.

‘Max it had been a pleasure meeting you but I have to rest now. Doctor’s orders you see. I’ll see you all later.’

Joe left and then Max left to find the bathroom shortly afterwards. Once Max was out of sight, Liz leapt from her stool and rounded on her Grandma.

‘Do you want to tell me what that was all about?’

Claudia looked at her innocently with wide eyes.

‘What what was all about?’

‘Don’t act coy with me Grams. You know what I’m talking about. You and Grumpy acting like Max is your long lost grandson. This better not be some weird trap where you make him feel comfortable and then attack him when he least expects it.’

Claudia shook her head.

‘No, honey. We like him. We genuinely do.’

Liz’s eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms.

‘You didn’t like Sean.’

Claudia rolled her eyes and her voice took on an angry tone.

‘Sean was an arrogant, possessive little popinjay with more money than brains whom you didn’t even like.’ Her voice softened as she added, ‘With Max, it’s obvious that you love him and he loves you. Why would we go out of our way to be rude to someone who obviously thinks the world of you and makes you glow like you’ve been glowing for the past half an hour? He makes you happy Liz, that’s all we want for you.’

Liz smiled and hugged her with genuine happiness. She couldn’t be more thrilled about how things had worked out.

‘So, what are you and Max going to do tonight honey? Your brother and your friends should be coming in late, do you want to wait for them or are you going to go out, just the two of you?’

Liz chewed on her lip and answered, ‘Well, I was thinking of waiting for them but Eric’s party is on tonight and I don’t want to miss seeing him Abby, Sophie and Kyle…’

Claudia patted her cheek softly.

‘Well then. You had better get your bags and grab Max and go and get ready. When everyone gets here, I’ll tell them where you are. By the way I made up the guest room in case Max turned out to be another Sean, but now that I’ve met him you won’t need it. Just be careful.’

Liz blushed and hugged her Grandma again whispering how glad she was to be back and left. She bumped into Max who was coming out of the bathroom and dragged down the hall to the car.

***********

Once outside Max let out a large breath and sighed with relief.

‘That went well… didn’t it? I don’t know your grandparents very well but they seemed to like me.’

Liz grinned and kissed him quickly.

‘They loved you. Which was very surprising to me, because they treated Sean like dirt.’

Max frowned and then smiled and then frowned again. ‘Not that I’m upset that they hated Sean, but why didn’t you tell me this?’

‘Because.’ Liz turned and picked up her bags from the trunk of the car only to be stopped by Max who playfully smacked her hands out of the way and lifted the suitcases himself.

‘You would have been terrified that they would treat you the same way and you were annoying enough to deal with, without the added nervousness.’

Max playfully scowled at her and trudged up the path with their suitcases. Liz took him upstairs and showed him where to dump their bags. Max straightened and looked around at Liz’s room. It was huge.

‘So where am I sleeping?’

Liz smiled seductively at him and fluttered her eyelashes at him.

‘Grandma Claudia had had the guest room made up for you in case she didn’t like you but now that she’s met you, you get to share my room.’

Max swallowed and blinked his eyes incredulously. ‘Your Grandma doesn’t mind if we sleep together?’

Liz shook her head.

‘Not at all. Alex used to have girls stay over all the time in junior and senior year. Sean obviously wasn’t allowed over because no one could stand him and I never wanted him over anyway, but the system still works. If Alex can have random girls in his bed, then my steady boyfriend sharing my bed is quite tame in comparison. Ugh, I still haven’t told Alex. I’ll tell him as soon as he gets here.’

Max smiled and sighed jumping on the bed beside Liz and nuzzling her hair.

‘Did I ever tell you how much I like your grandparents? Wait, where’s their room?’

Liz smiled at him and rolled onto her back. ‘The west wing. We’re in the east wing now so don’t worry about noise. However, Alex’s room is down the hall but I could never hear him with his one night stands so I assume that works both ways.’

‘Good.’

Max moved over onto her and kissed her, positioning his body between her thighs with his hands either side of her head. Liz’s arm ran up and down his torso and worked their way to the front to feel his rock hard abs. Liz pulled away once she felt herself becoming too aroused.

‘Max,’ she panted, ‘we have to stop now or we’ll never stop and we’ll be late for the party.’

Max groaned and rolled off her onto the other side of the bed.

‘I don’t suppose there would be anyway to convince you-’

‘No. Don’t even try. I miss Eric and Phil and Cat and Kyle and I really want to see them before they get really drunk. So get dressed and ready! We’ve got all night to do what you’re suggesting we do.’

Max groaned. He had to wait. Waiting was no fun at all.

**********

Liz and Max strolled up the curved driveway to Eric’s house. They had had to park down the street due to the massive numbers of rich kids with fancy convertibles attending the party. It was a party that had brought back many of last year’s senior class and a whole bunch from the years below.

Not to mention some of Eric and Phil’s college buddies. It was a massive party and from what Liz could tell it was already pumping. Liz laced her fingers through Max’s and walked to the front door. She rang the doorbell and Eric opened the door.

‘ZAB! MAX! How are you dudes? Welcome to mi casa! It is so great to see you guys, word of warning Liz, both Paulie AND Sean are here. This is not your day, sweetie. Paulie gatecrashed and Sean was invited by my parents who don’t know what happened between the two of you.’

Liz stiffened. This was not good. Max bent down and yelled over the music to her, ‘Don’t let them ruin your night, Liz! They’re not worth it. Let’s just have fun.’

Max led her onto the dance floor and they’d only been dancing for about a minute when a gaggle of squealing girls attacked them.

Liz turned and yelled. ‘Phil! Cat! Oh my God! My entire cheerleading squad! It’s so great to see you guys.’ Liz hugged them all but held onto Abby and Phil much longer than the others.

Abby and Sophie turned and hugged Max at the same time, one on each side, much to Max’s amusement and Liz introduced him to her squad.

‘Guys, this is Max Evans.’ Adding possessively once she saw the girl’s appreciative looks, ‘My boyfriend.’

Stunned silence greeted this statement and one girl asked incredulously, ‘But, what about Sean?’

Liz beamed at the girl and had no qualms about telling the truth. ‘I dumped him. I traded him in for someone better. I never loved him anyway.’

The squads’ mouths dropped even lower and Sophie felt forced to step in.
‘She dumped him right after graduation actually. He turned into a prick after that and that’s why I love Max, because unlike Sean, he’s not a prick.’

Max laughed and playfully punched Sophie on the shoulder. ‘Thanks Phil. You’re a dude!’

‘Yeah I know. I’m awesome. Eric and I have been getting the same reaction from everyone who knew us in school. Their mouths hang open and they look stunned when they see us kiss or we tell them that we’re dating. I’ve had so many incredulous guys look offended when I tell them that I can’t hook up with them because I’m with Eric. They all think that I’m lying just to get out of rejecting them properly.’

Liz, Abby and Max laughed and Kyle joined them.

‘What’s funny?’

Abby wound her arm around Kyle’s waist and said, ‘Max and Liz are getting the same stunned look that Sophie and Eric get when people find out that they’re going out.’

Kyle processed that information and frowned. ‘Why are people shocked by that?’

Abby rolled her eyes as if the answer was obvious and slapped Kyle’s chest affectionately. ‘Because! Liz was dating Sean before she left and people thought that they were going to get married.’

Liz cringed and snuggled into Max’s side. ‘Eww! Like I’d ever marry Sean. The thought frightens and confuses me.’

Max smiled at her and after a short chat, they both headed off to circulate.

************

It seemed that Liz wasn’t exaggerating the truth when she said she had been popular. Every three or so steps she’d have to stop and talk to someone that she knew. And every person that she talked to would stop and stare at him once they found at that he and Liz were going out.

Max wasn’t by rule a shy person, but this constant scrutiny was taking it’s toll on him. He was tempted to drag Liz upstairs and whisk her into a private room so he could have some alone time with her.

Liz was talking to some girl who had kindly reigned in her amazement over his boyfriend status when he felt someone’s gaze bore into his back.

Turning around Max had his first view of Sean in months. He was staring intensely at Liz. Max didn’t like the way Sean was sweeping his eyes up Liz’s body. It was like he was hungry or something.

Fearing for Liz, Max placed his hand around her waist and turned from Sean hoping that he’d leave them alone. He had no reservations about beating Sean up again but he didn’t want to do it in Eric’s house and ruin his party.

Liz also felt someone’s gaze and turned to see Sean staring at her. Liz turned back almost immediately and excused herself from the conversation. Grabbing Max’s hand, Liz towed him outside, away from the loud music and away from Sean. Reaching the orchard in Eric’s backyard Liz pulled up abruptly and swung to face Max.

‘Liz, are you alright?’

Liz stomped her foot petulantly and whined like a child. ‘No! I’m not alright! What is he doing staring at me like that? Why couldn’t he just leave me alone? Why can’t he just get over it like any other normal person?’

Max pushed back some hair from Liz’s face and wrapped his arms around her resting his forehead on top of her head as she pressed her face into his chest and breathed in deeply.

‘Because, Liz, you are the most fantastic person and I know that it would be extremely difficult to just “get over you”.’

Liz drew her head back and smiled at him. ‘You are so bad for my ego, Max Evans.’

Max bent his head down to hers and they kissed slowly, only to be interrupted by a loud cough.

‘Liz, you should have let me know that you’d moved on from Sean. We could have gotten together.’

Liz winced and then spoke cuttingly without turning her head to look at the person who had addressed her.

‘Paulie. Do you mind? I’m a little busy right now. Go away before I give you a black eye to rival the last one.’

Paulie chuckled and moved in closer, much to both Max and Liz’s annoyance.

‘Why didn’t you call Liz? We could have been great together.’

Liz fought off the all consuming rage that threatened to overtake her.

‘Piss off Paulie. Go sexually harass someone else because I find you completely repulsive.’

Liz grabbed Max’s hand and towed him back to the house leaving Paulie standing in the backyard.

‘Liz, you’re a very hard person to be alone with. You’ve got bitter exes inside and unwanted pushy admirers outside, not to mention the hordes of people who claim you as a friend and want to steal your valuable time from me. It’s very frustrating being your boyfriend right now.’

Liz slowed down and sighed as she turned to him. ‘I’m sorry. How about we go dance? I promise I won’t let anyone cut in.’ Max smiled and ran his finger down her cheek.

‘How could I say no to that face?’ Liz laughed and batted her eyelashes at him as they moved onto the dance floor.

They began dancing closely and Liz was starting to relax and unwind from her confrontations with Paulie and Sean when she noticed a bunch of girls trying to get in between her and Max in the hopes of starting something with the mysterious hunk who was dancing with Liz.

Liz had had it. She was sick of people trying to get between her and Max. He was hers and vice versa, Goddamn it! First Sean, then Paulie had tried to separate them and now a bunch of rich, bitchy princesses were trying to sink their claws into HER boyfriend. She’d show them.

Liz pushed her way through the mass and finally broke through to Max. Max looked relieved as he saw her and held her firmly to stop any unwanted girls from getting any ideas. Liz had other plans though.

Reaching up, she wrapped her arms around Max’s neck and leapt up locking her legs around his waist. Max caught her and held her even though he’d been taken by surprise.

Liz lowered her gaze to his mouth and then attacked, not caring that she was straddling and making out heavily with her boyfriend in the middle of the dancing area. Max, although surprised, made no attempt to stop her and kissed her back, much to the group of girls’ dismay.

Liz was so engrossed in the moment that she didn’t even hear Alex’s yell of ‘WHAT THE HELL?’

Liz broke away from her Max induced haze as she felt someone tug on her arm. Turning slightly to send away the person who was so rudely breaking a great kiss between her and Max, Liz was shocked when she saw Sophie almost wetting herself with laughter.

‘What?’

Sophie’s laughter increased at Liz’s obviously peeved tone, she reigned in her laughter just long enough to tell her what she needed to tell her before bursting into hysterics again.

‘Just thought you ought to know that Alex just arrived with the rest of your friends and he doesn’t look very impressed with your show that you’re putting on here.’

Liz’s eyes widened with the look of a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. She had told Alex that she was dating Max casually and he had just caught her straddling him on the dance floor.

This was not going to be pretty.

Liz scrambled off Max just in time to turn and face Alex who was flanked by a very amused Maria, Michael and Isabel.

‘Alex! Hey I-’

‘Liz, you want to tell me what that was all about? What happened to dating casually?’

The ire in Alex’s voice was unmistakable. She was in deep, deep shit.

‘Th-that was a couple of months ago Alex, things have kinda progressed since then and really I’m a big girl now and I don’t need-’

‘I wanna talk with Max. Alone. Liz, leave.’

Liz’s jaw dropped as Alex cut her off mid-explanation and issued a command. She had never seen him this pissed. Liz looked up at Max and he gave her a reassuring nod and gestured to Alex that they should talk outside.

Liz watched with despairing eyes as Max and Alex headed out to the garden.

Liz raced up the stairs into Eric’s bedroom and peered anxiously through the window at the dimly lit garden. She could hardly see them at all. She barely registered Maria and Isabel’s presence beside her at the window. Michael stood back a bit pretending that he wasn’t interested but in reality was watching as intently as he could.

‘You don’t think that Alex would do something stupid, like pick a fight with Max, do you?’

Liz’s voice trembled as she thought of the ramifications of a fight between her brother and her boyfriend.

Izzy snorted and shook her head. ‘God I hope not. I love Alex, but I’m not that biased to think that he’d stand a chance in a fight with Max. I’m pretty damn sure that Max would cream him.’

Liz ran her hands through her hair as she made out Alex’s blurry form in the dark. What was he saying? She wished she could hear.

************

‘So you and my sister, huh?’

Max smiled at the irony of the situation. That had been his position when Alex had started dating Izzy. He had made sure that Alex had good intentions before he would give his approval to the couple.

It hadn’t taken much convincing from Alex’s side to secure him that approval. Max was very sure that Alex would be harder to convince than he had been.

Izzy had always been able to take care of herself but he knew that Alex viewed Liz as fragile and in need of protection from the male species.

‘Yeah. Look Alex, I-’

Alex flung up a hand and stopped him momentarily. ‘All I want is your word that you won’t hurt her. And you better be not lie to me, Max. As your friend I won’t stand for any bullshit. I can’t believe I’m saying this.’ Alex rubbed the bridge of his nose after he spoke and shook his head in disbelief.

Max sighed, completely relieved. ‘Alex, I promise that I will never intentionally cause Liz any harm. I’d rather die first.’

Alex looked at him, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes and asked with ill-concealed suspicion, ‘Why should I believe that?’

Max dropped his guard and with open vulnerability replied, ‘Because I love her.’

Alex’s jaw dropped as he took in the sincerity in Max’s admission.

‘You love her?’

‘With all my heart. I can’t see myself in fifty years without her. I’ve never felt this way before Alex. It’s… amazing. I never thought that she’d love me back, but by some miracle she does. We’re happy Alex and I want to know that we have your approval otherwise I know Liz won’t be completely happy in our relationship without it.’

Alex muttered under his breath for a minute and bounced on the balls of his feet searching for an answer. Turning to Max after a while, Alex stretched out his hand.

‘Just make her happy and we’ll be cool.’

Grinning like a madman Max took his outstretched and shook it before thumping Alex’s back and enthusiastically stating, ‘You won’t regret this Alex, I promise.’

Alex laughed slightly and turned to him as they strode back into the house together.

‘You really do have it bad for my sister, don’t you? Check you out, grinning like an imbecile.’

**********

Liz watched with shock as Max shook Alex’s hand and walked back to the house with him.

‘How the HELL did he pull that off?’ Michael’s comment said exactly what the girls had all been thinking.

Maria shook her head in wonder and remarked, ‘Liz, that boyfriend of yours must have mystical powers or something.’

Despite the shock she was suffering, Liz couldn’t help but crack up at the awed quality in Maria’s voice.

‘Yeah, he’s the next Harry Potter.’ Liz called back sarcastically over her shoulder and walked quickly down the stairs to interrogate Alex or Max, or both.

Bounding down the stairs, Liz turned the corner sharply and ran into Sean. Her apology that would have been uttered for anyone else cut off as she looked up at Sean’s face. He was blocking her way and staring at her with haunted, deadened eyes.

‘Move.’

Liz had no qualms with being so forceful and rude to him. He hadn’t had much consideration for her a couple of months ago. Liz braced herself for a fight but was completely taken aback when he merely sighed and, with one last look filled with unsuppressed longing and hurt, moved aside.

Liz ran past him and halted with her hands on her hips in front of Max and Alex who were chatting. Both looked at her and shared a knowing glance. Alex sighed and stepped forward offering Liz his arm.

‘Here. I’ll face the firing squad first Max. Wait here. We’ll be back.’ Liz towed Alex out of the house and proceeded to fire question after question at Alex.

Max looked at the spectacle and laughed as Michael joined him.

‘And I thought I had it bad facing Alex. I’d face Alex’s interrogation over Liz’s any day.’

Michael winced as Liz poked Alex sharply in the shoulder causing him to stumble back as she yelled angrily in his face.

‘Me too, man. I never thought I’d see the day when I’d be more frightened of Liz than Maria. She looks positively demonic right now!’

Max and Michael cracked up at the look of sheer relief on Alex’s face when Liz turned sharply on her heel and stormed back into the house.

Michael shot Max a look of sympathy as Liz stormed in and grasped Max’s arm pulling him outside to where she’d demolished Alex a few moments before.

‘I am so sorry about him Max, he’s-’

‘Your brother and he worries for you because he loves you. Totally understandable.’ Liz gazed up with softened eyes at Max after he finished completing her sentence for her.

‘You’re wonderful, you know that?’

‘No, but feel free to try and convince me anyway.’

Liz chuckled into Max’s neck as he embraced her. She nuzzled her nose into the crook of Max’s neck and applied a sweet kiss on his sensitive skin causing him to shiver.

‘Are you becoming convinced yet?’

Max tried to rid his stomach of the butterflies that constantly fluttered whenever Liz was near and tried to reply calmly, ‘I think I need more convincing than that.’

Liz pulled free of Max’s drugging arms and replied with a chastening wave of her finger, ‘Uh uh, mister. Not here. You’ll just have to wait till we get home.’

Max nodded amiably. ‘I understand. Can we leave now?’

Liz shook her head and muttered something about “horndogs” before pushing Max back inside the house towards her friends who were busy pretending that they hadn’t been eavesdropping on their conversation.

[Rowedog]

PART FIFTEEN

‘Oh, thank God.’ Max muttered to himself as he arrived back at Liz’s house. They could finally be alone. His plans to whisk Liz upstairs to her bedroom were immediately foiled as Claudia greeted them at the door.

'Hey guys! Did you have fun?'

They all nodded enthusiastically and began talking loudly amongst themselves about what they’d seen and what had been the highlights of the night.

'I personally think Liz’s confrontation with Sean was the best part of the night. We all love drama!'

Max turned and looked at Liz with worry blazoned across his face.

'Confrontation?'

Liz shrugged and shook her head.

'Nothing happened. He got in my way and I told him to move. And he did. That’s all.'

Max looked relieved but his relief was short lived as Maria piped up with, 'Yeah but the look he gave her! I’ve never seen anything like it!'

Liz blessed Maria with an eye roll and replied, 'God Maria! Everything’s The Bold and the Beautiful with you! I sincerely worry about you sometimes.'

Michael interrupted the argument that was quickly becoming heated by transferring Maria’s attention to him.

'Sometimes? I worry all the time.'

Michael winced as Maria slapped him upside the head and winked as Liz smiled gratefully at him. He had skilfully defused that tense moment.

Claudia invited them into the kitchen for refreshments and Max cringed as everyone accepted. There was no way that he could just drag Liz upstairs claiming tiredness as an excuse. Everyone would know that he wasn’t tired at all and he didn’t want Alex to think that was all he was getting out of his relationship with Liz.

Resigning himself to waiting, Max placed himself in a chair and huffed out an impatient breath. His breath caught in his throat as Liz placed herself on his knee and nestled herself into his chest. Not a wise decision from Liz considering how toey Max was right now. He was toey-er than a roman sandal.

Liz began to surreptitiously grind into Max’s lap and he almost gasped in shock. When he recovered, Max pinched her ass and hissed to her that what she was doing was a bad idea unless she wanted to be taken on the floor in front of her Grandmother.

Max rejoiced when Claudia suggested that they all get to bed, but waited till Alex and Isabel had headed upstairs first. He wanted to at least have one night in Liz’s bedroom before Alex found out and threw him into the guest room.

'Finally.' Liz muttered as Max shut the door to their room. Max crossed the room till he was standing toe to toe with Liz and gently brushed the hair away from her forehead before kissing her hungrily.

'Little tease,' muttered Max in between kisses as he unzipped her dress, reflecting on her behaviour downstairs..

Liz laughed throatily, causing Max to groan with need.

'Little horndog,' retorted Liz affectionately as Max placed her gently on the bed.

'You and I both know that there’s nothing little about me, Liz.' replied Max with an evil gleam in his eye.

Liz’s breath shortened and her eyes darkened.

'Really? Convince me.'

Max was more than happy to oblige her. Over and over again.

************

Liz lay still and contented on Max’s chest as he slept soundly beneath her. For some reason she couldn’t sleep. Maybe it was because that for the majority of the time that she’d lived in this room, she’s been with Sean.

God, he’d even proposed to her in this room.

Luckily she hadn’t slept with him in here. She felt certain that she wouldn’t be half as comfortable making love to Max in the bed that she and Sean had once shared.

It felt so surreal to be in her old bedroom with Max. In Boston it was easy to forget the past and embrace the present. But here… it was like she was back to where she started. Like the past months had never happened.

Like she was still stuck in the nightmare of being with Sean.

Her grip tightened around Max as she remembered the feeling of being with Sean. It was suffocating and she couldn’t handle the intense fear she felt when she considered that maybe it was all just a dream and that all that had happened between her and Max had never occurred.

Max stirred in his sleep when Liz’s hold on him tightened and he muttered incoherently while placing his hand possessively on the centre of her back before resettling.

Liz nestled her head into his chest, reassured by the realness of his hand on her back and calmed down immeasurably.

She still couldn’t sleep though.

There were just too many memories of her and Sean in here for her to feel completely at ease.

She was determined that tomorrow she and Max would make some new ones in here to try and squash the ghost of Sean which appeared to haunt her room. She had been fine over Christmas sleeping in here, but things had changed since then.

Ever since the “incident” that had occurred with Sean, she had been having reoccurring dreams in which Sean would tear her and Max apart and she’d be forced to spend the rest of eternity with him. The intense fear and feeling of suffocation that accompanied the dream would often wake her in a cold sweat, gasping for air.

She only ever had them when she wasn’t sharing her bed with Max.

She was glad that she couldn’t sleep, she was certain that she would have that dream tonight, regardless of whether Max was holding her or not.

She could even feel the familiar feeling of menace in her gut that accompanied those dreams. She wished that the night would end or that Max would wake up. She briefly considered waking him up but then decided against it as he looked so peaceful sleeping.

Why should both of us have a crap night sleep, Liz reasoned and she turned her attention back to studying Max as he slept.

This activity was soon interrupted as she heard a ‘clink’ sound rhythmically repeat itself against her window.

Knowing that there were no trees anywhere near her room, she was at a loss to figure out what was tapping on her window.

Easing herself out of Max’s embrace, who protested mindlessly before rolling over and falling into a deeper sleep.

Liz crossed the floor of her room and peered out the window. What she saw nearly gave her a cardiac arrest.

Sean was down in her garden throwing stones at her window.

She did not need this right now. Max, Michael and Alex were here and more than willing to beat the crap out of him. To avoid a scene, Liz slipped her dressing gown on and chucked her slippers on to go confront him and convince him to leave before anyone noticed.

Liz left the room and hurried out to the back door, but not before she slipped the pepper spray and mini alarm into her pocket.

Better safe than sorry. That mini alarm that Alex had bought for her safety was loud enough to wake people in Utah, so she figured she’d be safe.

************

'What the hell do you think you’re doing?' hissed Liz as Sean hurled another pebble at her window.

Sean spun, completely taken by surprise.

'Liz! Oh, uh… I needed to talk to you.'

Liz looked at him with incredulity and anger.

'Does a restraining order mean nothing to you Sean? God I could have you arrested right now, not only for breaking the restraining order, but for trespassing on private property as well!'

Sean looked suitably chastised and rubbed his eyes wearily. It was then that Liz noticed the dark rings under his eyes and the haggard lines drawn across his once smooth, boyish face.

He did not look ok. He looked like he hadn’t slept in a month and that he’d been seriously ill.

'I wanted to make things right between us Liz. I want to apologise for my behaviour. I-I want us to be friends again.'

'What?!' Liz’s shriek filled the garden before she could remind herself that Alex’s room was only a couple of metres past hers.

Her voice dropped to a harsh whisper once she was certain that she hadn’t woken anyone up.

'You want to be friends?! Why in the fuck should I believe that?'
Sean winced at her profanity and Liz tapped her foot impatiently waiting for an answer.

'I know that I screwed up big time, Zab, but you’ve got to believe me when I tell you that this time I’m for real. I can deal with not being with you, but I can’t deal with not having you in my life at all. I need your forgiveness. Let me prove to you that I’ve changed.'

Liz snorted and Sean’s shoulders slumped in defeat. He could tell what was coming.

'You want. You need. It’s always about you, isn’t it Sean? I’ve already wasted too much time feeling sorry for your manipulative ass and I’m not taking pity this time. I already forgave you once and look what happened there. How on earth can I possibly forgive you when I can’t trust you to be alone in the same room as me? I had nightmares after that, Sean. Nightmares.'

Liz paused and looked away as Sean’s desperately pleading eyes bore into hers. She would not crack.

'So, let me tell you what I need, Sean. I need you to get the hell out of my garden and to leave me alone. It would take something pretty huge to regain my trust and I don’t see it happening. You’re far too selfish and self-involved. While you may need me in your life, Sean, I definitely don’t need you in mine.'

Liz turned and floated out of the garden back inside the house, feeling better than she had in months.

Snuggling back next to a warm Max, Liz suddenly felt tired. She grinned as her eyelids grew heavy and drooped.
Sean’s ghost had been permanently exorcised from her room and she fell fast asleep as Max’s arms wrapped around her, holding her tightly.

**********

Outside, in the cold, Sean sat shakily on the greek style stone bench and held his head in his hands. Why did he do this to himself, he pondered angrily as tears slipped down his cheeks.

He knew that she could never trust him again after what had happened but he still had to try. He needed Liz’s good opinion if he couldn’t have her love.

He’d resigned himself to that fate long ago after the “incident” at Christmas time.

It was there that the true folly of his ways had been revealed to him. It had been a very hard lesson for a spoilt boy, who had always received everything that he wanted and been fawned over, to learn.

He had been forced to learn, at the age of nineteen, that sometimes you just can’t get what you want and that no amount of money or pleading will make a person love you.

He had accepted that, but now he just wanted to make things right with Liz. He wanted her forgiveness. No, not wanted. Needed. If he was ever going to be able to sleep well again, he was going to have to get her forgiveness.

He just had no idea how.

**********

Liz bounced downstairs the next morning in a very chipper mood, followed by a groggy Max.

Liz halted in the kitchen as she spotted, Abby, Sophie and Eric seated around the breakfast table with their heads in their hands.

Liz looked at the rest of the gang who shrugged, not knowing what was going on either. Alex looked like he was trying not to laugh.

Liz approached the three of them cautiously. 'Good morning dearies, hungover are we?'

Eric raised his head and looked at her with a pained grimace.

'I take it Cocko hasn’t rung you yet?'

Liz frowned in confusion. Bill Simcock was their school principle and he was called Cocko behind his back by the entire student body. He was a major league asshole with a sense of humour malfunction. Life and his job were very serious matters, not to be taken lightly at any time. Rules were there to be obeyed and woe betide anyone who would dare cross him.

'No. Why would he-'

Liz stopped as the phone rang. Approaching it with dread, Liz answered and winced as Cocko’s voice boomed back at her.

'Elizabeth. Glad I caught you. It’s Principle Simcock here. I’m just calling to remind you of next week’s school service. I’ll expect to see you there promptly at seven pm, dressed in your winter uniform. I’ll give you your reading there and you’ll have half an hour to practice it, then I want you at the front of the church greeting the parents, officials and benefactors. You will not leave till the last person has left the car park. I’ll see you there on Sunday.'

The dial tone sounded in Liz’s ear and she stared at the receiver in bewilderment.

'Did-did that just happen?' Liz stuttered as she pulled up a seat next to Eric who patted her back.

'Baby, what’s wrong? Did something happen?' Max’s concern made Alex burst into maniacal laughter.

'That’s what you get for being a prefect, Liz! You forgot about the monster service, didn’t you?'

Liz nodded, her lip trembling as she pouted. This was so unfair!

'What’s going on?' asked Max with worry as he rubbed Liz’s back soothingly.

'Every year around this time, the school has a church service that is so long and large and boring, that they have to rope in last year’s school leaders to do a reading. And Lizzy here was a prefect.'

Sophie moaned from the other side of Eric. 'At least you weren’t a School Captain. My speech is going to be so much longer than yours and you just know it’s going to be that one about the camels and “not being Europeans”. What the hell does that have to do with anything anyway?'

Eric groaned beside her in agreement. 'One of us is going to have to do that god awful camels reading and I just know that it’s going to be me and that I’ll laugh and then my Mom will kill me.'

Liz snickered beside them and the rest of them looked on in confusion.

'Camels?'

'Europeans?'

'Prefects?'

'School Captains?'

'School service?'

The one word questions flew at them and Liz took a deep breath in.

'At our school there are four houses and every student is split into them. Kinda like Harry Potter. Each year they select a senior male and a female to lead the house and these are the Captains. Abby was Captain of my house and I got a prefect position. Which was great, because it basically meant that I didn’t have to do anything. Unlike these guys, I had no real responsibilities. Sean got offered School Captain but after reading the stuff that it involved, he declined and the position was passed to Eric who wasn’t as lazy. Sophie and Eric were the School Captains and seeing as we’re all prefects and we signed on the dotted line, we have to get into our school uniforms and spend a couple of hours in complete misery.'

'So, why do you have this service anyway? Isn’t your school non-denominational?'

Alex patted Izzy’s hand condescendingly and she scowled at him in response. 'Nope. We have a specific religion. I can’t remember what it is though. Methodist? Presbyterian? Mormon? Nope, neither of those sound right.'

Liz shrugged, completely unconcerned and leant into Max behind her who was rubbing her shoulders. 'Whatever it is, it’s safe to say that it’s a Christian religion. Sorry Kyle.'

The group laughed and Izzy looked at Alex speculatively.

'I don’t remember you coming back for this Alex.”

'That’s because I wasn’t a prefect.'

Eric’s grin returned with that statement and he high fived Alex across the table.

'Why not?' asked Izzy with curiosity.

'Well, not everyone can get a prefect position and I kinda- well, I had a fall from grace.'

Liz, Abby, Sophie and Eric all laughed loudly at this and the Roswellians waited impatiently for the story.

'I swum a bit at school. And there was this big carnival when I was in junior year. Our school won the aggregate but the swim team captain fell ill from a bug he caught in the pool. So they asked me to say a few words at the school assembly the next day, seeing as how I’d won the most races. I rocked up and the female swim team Captain crapped on and on till there wasn’t much else to say. So I told everyone about how proud we all were to win for our school and yada yada yada, and I began to thank all the volunteers who helped out on the day, you know, all the parents and teachers and crap and then I caught Eric’s eye. Very bad thing to do. He was practically daring me to make it interesting. So I did.'

Alex stopped at that point and they all waited expectantly for him to finish the story. When he didn’t, Maria cried, 'Alex, you tease! What’d you say?'

Liz sniggered and shook her head. 'He said, and I quote, “I’d also like to thank Jesus. Couldn’t have done it without you bro!”'

The entire group cracked up but once they had calmed down enough, Liz managed to wheeze out, 'So of course the entire student body is pissing themselves laughing at this point and old Cocko looks like he’s about to either give birth or pop a hernia. Alex then makes things worse for himself by laughing hysterically when Cocko confronts him after assembly because Cocko’s wig has become askew in his maddening rage. And that my friends, is why Alex was deemed an unsuitable choice for a school leadership position.'

Michael slapped him proudly on the back, 'But what a way to go!'

Michael paused from his grinning and frowned slightly as he considered something. 'So, what’s this camels thing?'

Sophie’s good humour vanished instantly and she groaned.

'It’s a reading. It makes absolutely no sense, more so than the others. It says something like, “We will go by camels. We will not walk. We are not Europeans.” And either Eric or myself are going to have to say it without laughing.'

The explanation brought a fresh round of laughter and their chat soon turned to other areas that were far more pleasant to think about.

**************

Sunday came far too quickly for everyone’s liking and Liz spent an inordinate amount of time complaining before heading up to her room to dig her old uniform out of the back of her closet.

Abby, Eric and Sophie had already left to get ready and they were going to meet back at Liz’s house at six and head off together.

Liz held up the knee high socks, short pleated tartan skirt and button up blue shirt with a groan. She hated her uniform with a passion. Liz scrounged in the bottom of her closet and managed to find her tie but she still had no idea where her black school shoes were.

Heading downstairs, doing her tie as she went, Liz called out to Alex, 'I promised myself that I’d never wear this ever again! Alex have you seen my school shoes lately?'

Alex didn’t look up from his position on the couch as he answered. Fairly Odd Parents was on and he wouldn’t miss it.

'Last I heard they were heading to the fireplace to be burnt.'

Liz adjusted her tie and pulled down her shirt collar as she stepped onto the living room floor.

'Yeah, I wanted to burn them but I didn’t. I’ll ask Grams.'

Liz glanced at her friends to find them all staring at her.

'What?' she asked self-consciously as they stared wide eyed at her.

'It’s the whole catholic school girl fantasy. Kyle’s been drooling ever since I put my uniform on.'

Abby’s voice floated in and Liz rolled her eyes as she noticed Max’s erratic breathing and darkened eyes.

'Liz, you look like something out of a porno. I can’t believe you wore that every day to school.'

'Believe it, Michael.' said Sophie as she, Abby, Eric and Kyle entered the room. While the girls’ uniforms looked sexy, Eric’s caused raucous laughter.

Pretending to be offended, Eric sniffed and held his head high.
'I happen to think I look rather dashing.'

Sophie rolled her eyes as she looked at his grey-brown dress pants, blue shirt that was tucked in and his tie.

Liz moved off to find her shoes which were in the shoe rack outside collecting dust, and grabbed her blazer from the coat closet as she went.

Abby wandered over to the sound system and flicked through the cd’s before finding one that made her eyes gleam with amusement.

Turning it on, Abby turned expectantly to Sophie and Liz who both laughed as Rick James’ ‘Superfreak’ pumped out of the speakers.

Liz looked at Max with a wicked gleam in her eyes before grabbing Sophie’s hands and pulling her over to the stereo.

Joining Abby both girls began to dance dirtily in time with the music.
Max, Kyle and Eric all nearly died as they bumped and grinded together while singing the words.

'She’s a very kinky g-irl. The kind you don’t take home to mother!'

Kyle watched as Abby slapped her ass and winked at him. The pained expression on his face was enough to set everyone laughing.

'She’s a superfreak. Superfreak. She’s superfreakin, yow.'

'Uh. Catholic schoolgirls.' Moaned Kyle as he watched them and both Eric and Max nodded, knowing exactly where he was coming from. Isabel and Maria rolled their eyes at them, laughing as Liz “dropped down” and “got her eagle on”.

Alex switched the song off and six people simultaneously yelled at him.

Alex shrugged their complaints off. 'I don’t want to watch my sister tease her boyfriend. It’s nasty.'

Liz shrugged and grabbed her blazer after looking at the time.
'We have to go anyway. Wouldn’t want Cocko to get mad at us. “Punctuality is another form of respect and the grease of life”'

Max watched in stunned silence as Liz left with Abby, Eric and Sophie after purposefully teasing him into a frenzy. She was so going to get it when she got home.

*************

Spring Break was over before they knew it and Liz sighed with relief that everything was finally sorted out for her and Max. Well, everything but Sean and Tess it seemed.

Everybody that counted knew and approved of their relationship and they didn’t have to hide anything anymore.

A week after their return, Liz skipped down to Max’s room to tell him that Serena would be with Trey tonight after getting a text message from her during one of her morning classes.

Liz pushed on the open door and her bright smile faded into a look of concern as she watched a wan Max shiver underneath his doona.
'Max, honey, are you alright?'

Max turned his dull eyes to her and attempted a smile which looked more like a grimace.

'Yeah. J-just a f-fever. I th-think I’m coming d-down with a f-flu.'

Liz’s frown deepened as Max chattered beneath the mountain of blankets on his bed. She had a very bad feeling about this “flu”. She watched Max move restlessly in his bed, finding no comfort in any position that he tried.
Moving to his side Liz placed her hand on Max’s wan forehead and pulled away sharply with a surprised hiss.

'Christ Max! You’re burning up! We need to get some of that bedding off of you!'

Max groaned in protest and weakly held the sheets to his chin.

'No. Please. It’s too cold. Liz, I’m cold.' Max’s desperate pleading touched Liz’s heart and she fought an internal battle with herself over what to do.
She knew she should probably cool him down but she didn’t want him to suffer. He looked so sick and so unwell that it hurt her to look at him. She wished she could do something to help him.

She just didn’t know what to do.

'Have you taken anything?'

Max nodded weakly. 'Cold and f-flu tablet. I’ll j-just stay in b-bed today.'

Liz frowned at his violent shivering. 'When did you take it?'

'T-two hours ago.'

'Two hours?! Max, it should be working by now!'

Max didn’t respond, instead he clutched his stomach and heaved the meagre contents of his stomach into the bucket beside his bed.

'Oh my god! Max! You’re really ill, we need to take you to the hospital!'

Max shook his head as vehemently as he could whilst shivering. 'No, I-I’ll be f-fine. I just n-need to s-sleep. G-go to c-class. I just need to r-rest.'

Liz sighed and argued with herself once again. Max seemed so sure that he was going to be fine and he was going to be a doctor. But every fibre of Liz’s being was screaming out to her that something was very wrong with Max.

Liz bit down on the urge to drag Max out to the car and take him to the hospital. She was probably over reacting. Love does crazy things to your reasoning abilities.

'Ok. I’ll come check on you after each class, ok?'

'N-no need.'

'I’ll come check on you.' Liz stated in a firmer voice that brooked no refusal.

'Ok.' Max’s eyes closed with weariness and he promptly fell into a restless sleep.

Liz closed the door softly behind her, not wanting to wake him, and headed to class, all the while battling with herself. This did not feel right at all.

"""""""""""'

Liz rushed down the hall towards Max’s bedroom. She had barely been able to concentrate at all during her last class. It had been a lesson in pointlessness. If she was going to worry about Max, she should at least do so where she could see him. She was determined that until she could see Max showing signs of getting better, she was not going to leave him.

Liz flung open the door to his room and found him standing at the window staring blankly out of it with a cup of water dangling from his fingers.

'Max?' Liz could hear the fear in her voice as he turned to face her. She had never seen anyone look so unwell before.

'Max? Are you ok?'

Max’s entire body shook and the glass of water fell unheeded on the carpet, spilling it’s contents everywhere. Liz watched in anxiety as he swayed and then collapsed onto the carpet.

Standing motionless for a second in total horror, Liz then screamed and rushed to his side.

Dropping to her knees she rolled him over and attempted in vain to wake him.

'Max? Max! Oh God. Max? Wake up, please! Please wake up!'

Liz had never felt such terror in her life before. She felt like she couldn’t breathe as the fear ripped through her insides leaving her shaking and weak.

Liz slapped Max’s face in desperation and nearly fainted when he didn’t respond. She felt sick, like she was about to vomit.

'Help.' She whispered weakly before clearing her voice to yell. 'Help me! Someone please! Serena! Tom! Oh please, someone just-'

Her voice cut off as Tom burst into the room.

'Liz, what-? What’s wrong with Max?'

Liz’s breaths came in short pants as cradled Max’s head in her lap.

'Call an ambulance.' She ordered before adding softly, her voice thick with tears, 'Max is sick.'

[Rowedog]

PART SIXTEEN

‘What’s wrong with him?’ Liz asked tersely sitting in the waiting room of the hospital with Tom and Serena either side of her as the doctor spoke to her.

‘We’re not sure yet. We think he may either have a viral or a bacterial infection. We’re running some tests but we should know more soon.’

‘Wait. What does that mean? Is he going to be alright?’ Liz asked angrily while shrugging off Serena’s hand which was attempting to soothe her by rubbing her back.

‘We won’t know that until we find out what’s wrong with him.’

Liz groaned in frustration and fear. ‘And how long will that take?’ Liz didn’t care that her voice was loud and almost hysterical. She couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe until she knew that Max was ok.

‘We should have the results back in a couple of hours. Until then we have his condition stabilised.’

Liz almost cried as she thought of waiting a couple of hours without knowing if Max was going to get better or not.

‘Can I see him?’ she asked, her voice breaking on a sob.

‘It’s better if you don’t, Ms Parker. We don’t know if we he has is contagious or not and until we know, it’s vital that we don’t take the risk.’

Liz sank onto the seat behind her as the doctor left. Max was sick and there was nothing she could do to help him. She couldn’t even see him to reassure herself that he was still alive.

Serena sat next to her and tried to calm her down, but Liz barely heard a word she said. Her mind was lost in contemplation of what could happen if she lost Max. What the rest of her life looked like without him.

How could she possibly live without him? How could she ever be with anyone else?

Her life, which once looked so promising and full of hope, was now blank and desolate. Without Max, there was nothing for her to look forward to. Her career, her college course and her life now looked so stale and flat.

‘I should call Max’s parents.’ Liz numbly interrupted Serena’s reassurances and blankly rose from her seat towards the phone.

‘Honey, why don’t you let me do that?’ Serena asked gently after Liz dialled the number.

Wordlessly, Liz handed her the phone and headed into the female bathroom so that Tom couldn’t follow her. She needed time alone. Time to deal.

Liz caught her reflection by accident in the mirror and thought that she looked how she felt. Like a wreck. How had this happened? He’d been ok yesterday. Just a bit queasy. And tired. And lethargic. In fact, now that she thought about it, he’d been like that all week.

How the hell had she missed all the signs? If she’d been more attentive like a proper girlfriend and gotten him to the hospital quicker, maybe Max wouldn’t be so ill now. Kicking open a cubicle door in her rage at the unfairness of life, Liz battled back angry tears. He was too young and too wonderful to die.

Liz sank onto the toilet seat, put her head in her hands and cried. Her mind kept flicking back to everything that they’d been through together.

She had always loved him. Even in Chicago, when she had been trying to convince herself that it had been just a crush, her heart had always belonged to Max. And if he died, then he was taking her heart with him to the grave.

Liz rejoined them, half an hour later after crying herself dry. Unlike usual, the crying hadn’t done anything to calm her down. She was still just as terrified for him.

‘Liz? I called your parents and Alex as well. He said he’d tell all your friends for you about what’s happening with Max.’

Liz nodded numbly. She felt grateful but she couldn’t express it. She needed to keep her emotions under control otherwise she’d lose it and collapse into a shivering wreck. She couldn’t afford that, she needed to be strong for Max.

They sat there silently, as the ticking of the clock reminded them that they were going to have to wait a very long time. It seemed to taunt them as it reminded them just how long a couple of hours can be when you’re waiting.

Liz passed on any offer of doing something to take her mind off of it. While it killed her to think of Max sick, possibly fighting for his life in a hospital bed, it felt like sacrilege to go and attempt to have fun and forget about it.

Eventually the offers stopped coming and Liz gratefully sank back into her chair as Tom and Serena gave up.

After what seemed like days, the doctor finally returned.

‘Ms Parker? Max has Lassa fever, which we luckily caught before it reached fulminant viremia …’ Liz listened intently trying to understand some of the medical jargon that came out of his mouth.

‘Uh, layman’s terms doc?’ asked Tom who realised Liz’s confusion.

‘He has a contagious virus, which means that he needs to be placed on an antiviral called ribavirin. And with any luck, he should be better within one to four weeks.’

Liz let out a shaky breath and thanked the lord that he could be cured. She couldn’t handle losing him. She just couldn’t. She tuned back into the doctors explanation after a moment’s recovery.

‘… not certain how he contracted this disease, considering it’s zoonotic, which means passed on by animals. Rats to be precise. There’s an argument around that it can be passed by airborne particles but others argue that it needs direct contact with bodily excretion or direct exposure to the animal in question. There have been cases in America but it’s more commonly found in Africa. We may never know where he contracted it.’

Liz stared at the doctor in frustrated bemusement. She didn’t want to know this shit, she wanted to know what she should expect during Max’s illness and when she could see him.

‘He could suffer from a multitude of symptoms, but right now he’s suffering from lethargy, bloody vomiting, dysphagia which is difficulty swallowing, tachycardia which is an abnormally high heart rate, a fever, chest pain and coughing.’

‘Can I see him yet?’ Liz couldn’t contain herself any longer, she needed to see him.

‘Well, he’s in isolation, but if we get you fitted up in protective gear, I see no reason why you shouldn’t be able to see him.’

Liz’s face broke into the first semblance of a smile that it had seen since she had found out that Max was sick.

‘Thankyou. So much.’ Liz blinked back tears as he led her to the adjoining room to isolation.

Liz changed into the gown and put the mask and gloves on. She was very pissed off that she didn’t get to touch him skin to skin considering that she’d already had a lot of exposure to him.

But she understood that they had to take these precautions.

Liz entered the ward and her eyes immediately sought out Max’s form. She crossed the floor quickly and sat on the chair next to his bed, grasping his hand between her gloved hands and squeezing to reassure herself that he was really there.

He looked so weak and ill. His condition had deteriorated since the morning when she had found him. His eyes were sunken and bruised and his once tanned body was pale and covered in sweat.

He looked so beaten and worn out that Liz’s fear came back with a swift kick to her stomach.

Max’s eyes flickered open and he volunteered her a weak smile.

‘He’ll find it difficult to speak because of the dysphagia. Perhaps you should do all the talking. If he gets too tired, let him sleep.’

Liz nodded and swallowed heavily, completely at a loss as to what to say to him. Where on earth should she start? There was just so much to say.
‘I know you can’t talk, so just listen. You… completely terrified me today.’

Liz ignored the tears welling in her eyes and the lump in her throat. She needed to get this out.

‘Seeing you like that, it just- it really hit home how much I need you. I love you so much and when I couldn’t wake you, it felt like I couldn’t breathe.’ Liz’s voice dropped to a whisper and she smiled tremulously when he weakly rubbed her knuckles with his thumb.

‘So you have to get better. Otherwise I don’t think I’ll ever be able to breathe again. You’re the love of my life Max. You can’t leave me.’

Max’s grip tightened on her hand and she bit back more tears.

‘D-ditto’

Liz glanced up at his croaked reply and smiled tenderly at him, she had never loved him more.

The moment was short lived when Max’s body stiffened on the bed and bowed unnaturally.

Liz pushed back from the bed and nearly fell off the chair as his hand pulled out of hers in a convulsive fit.

‘Help! He’s throwing a fit!’

Liz’s announcement was barely necessary as the doctors rushed to his side. Liz’s breaths came out in terrified gasps as they pinned Max’s body to the bed administering him with a muscle relaxant and a sedative that halted the seizure.

Due to Max’s unconscious state and Liz’s distress, she was ushered outside where she promptly ripped off the mask and gasped for air.

Unable to get enough oxygen, Liz ripped the gloves off and tore at the gown wildly in an attempt to escape the suffocating sensation.

Doctor Hammond grabbed at her clawing hands and restrained her, pushing her into a seat, forcing her to sit.

‘Liz. You’re having a panic attack. Do you understand me? You need to calm down. Look at me. You’re fine. Max is ok. It was a mild seizure.’

Liz controlled her breathing until she could stutter out, ‘M-mild? What the hell is severe?’

Doctor Hammond conceded her point with a nod of his head. ‘It looked worse than it was, Liz. It’s hard to pin point which symptoms will appear in which patients for Lassa. I’m sorry that I didn’t warn you that that could happen, I didn’t want you to worry unnecessarily.’

Liz sat in silence. He didn’t want her to worry? It was a bit late for that. She didn’t think she could worry anymore than she was right now.

************

Liz spent the night in the waiting room. Both Tom and Serena had attempted to make her go home to rest, but Liz couldn’t bear to leave knowing that something could happen to Max and she wouldn’t be here.

Liz woke to a gentle shaking of her shoulders. Opening her bleary eyes, her brother’s face greeted her.

His gentle, sympathetic expression broke her fragile emotional walls down and she burst into tears as he hugged her.

‘Alex, I’ve been so scared. He’s so sick and I can’t do anything!’ Liz sobbed into Alex’s shoulder as she clung to him tightly.

‘It’s ok Lizzy. He’ll get better. You caught it early and they’re treating him for it and the mortality rate for this virus is really low.’

Liz’s crying increased at Alex’s use of the word “mortality”. Cringing, Alex rocked his sister until her crying slowed.

Eventually she pulled back and took in that both Mr and Mrs Evans were standing in the waiting room too. Liz would have been more nervous about meeting Max’s parents for the first time as his girlfriend had he not been so scarily ill.

‘Oh, honey.’ Liz’s watery eyes widened with shock as Diane pulled her into a hug. She felt the urge to cry again as Diane rubbed her back. ‘He’ll be ok. He’s an Evans. They have a strong constitution.’ Having such a maternal hug made Liz’s chest pang for her own mother.

She wanted her own mother here telling her that everything would be ok and reassuring her like she did when she was five and she thought there were monsters in the closet.

Only this time the monsters were real, they were deadly, and they were in Max.

As she was released from Diane’s embrace she felt another pair of arms go round her. She relaxed into Izzy’s arms and returned the hug tightly.

‘I’m so glad you were there when he got sick. God knows what I would have done. It must have been so terrifying and I’m really proud of you for all you’ve done for him.’ Izzy mumbled into Liz’s hair as she grasped her.

Liz gave half a bitterly sardonic laugh. ‘What I’ve done for him? I haven’t done anything. I’ve been extremely useless in all this.’

Iz pulled back and stared into Liz’s face directly. ‘Liz, you’ve loved him and worried for him just as intensely as our family. You spent the night in the hospital waiting room because you were so worried for him. You’ve been here for him, Liz. That’s what you’ve done.’

Liz gave her a watery smile and pulled her back into a hug. She was so glad that someone else was here to help her. Serena and Tom were great but they didn’t love Max. Not the way that she and the Evans’s did.

Mr and Mrs Evans and Isabel were allowed to see Max but not wake him, so they headed off to isolation leaving Liz and Alex in the waiting room alone together. Alex pulled Liz into his side and kissed the side of her head.

‘He’ll get better, Liz.’

Liz didn’t reply. She couldn’t trust herself to. She buried her head in Alex’s chest and felt his arms tighten around her.

For the first time since she was fifteen, Liz needed her big brother to protect her. She felt so unable to cope, like she was fourteen again with frizzy hair and absolutely no confidence to speak of. She felt weak and powerless again and she had never been more grateful to see Alex.

‘Tell me something, Alex. Something funny. I’ve cried too much already.’

Alex ummed and ahhed momentarily before clicking his fingers.

‘Ok, I called Eric and told him about Max’s illness. I told him what caused it, you know, rats, and he said with a cluck of his tongue, “Didn’t his mother ever tell him not to play with rat excrement?”.’

Liz chuckled next to Alex’s chest as tears fell unchecked down her cheeks.

‘And then he must have eaten one of Sophie’s cookies because Sophie chewed him out about it and he replied “If the cookie didn’t want to be eaten, it would have said something.” You should have heard Sophie’s disgusted snort. She was not impressed.’

Liz shoulders shook even harder and she couldn’t tell if she was laughing or crying. She suspected she was doing both.

Pulling back Liz wiped her cheeks and her giggles came out in spurts as she shook her head at Eric’s stupidity.

‘That’s just so… idiotic.’

Alex flicked his eyebrows up in agreement and shook his head. ‘Yeah, I don’t think either he or Sophie grasped how serious his illness was. The others got it but those two have always been a bit slow on the uptake.’

Liz giggled again and then sighed. ‘Thanks Alex.’

Alex smiled at her. He knew what she was thanking him for. ‘You’re welcome.’

*************

The next two weeks were hard on everyone. Liz’s parents came up and forced Liz to look after herself by going back to their hotel room to eat, shower and sleep. Liz couldn’t go back to her dorm. She couldn’t go back their and see the places that she and Max had been so happy knowing that he was so unwell now.

Nobody pushed her to go back to school for classes, they all knew that it would be a waste of time, Serena had organised for a person in each of Liz’s classes to take notes for her so that when Max was better she could catch up.

She was taking notes for Max seeing as they took mostly the same classes.

Max’s seizures were once so frequent that he was regularly given medication for two days solid to prevent them and his dysphagia was at one point so severe that he had to be fed through IV.

Liz was allowed to see Max for an hour each day, as did his family. Liz lived for these times and they’d sit and talk about what they’d do once Max got better.

‘Liz? Do you want children one day?’

Liz blinked at the sudden turn that their conversation had taken, they had just been talking about Max’s classes. Now that Max’s dysphagia had faded, his speech had returned. He just got very tired and it was often a struggle to keep his eyes open.

‘Yeah. One day.’

‘Me too. How many?’

Liz paused momentarily. ‘Two. I like that number. It worked for Alex and I.’

Max smiled weakly at her. ‘It worked for us too. It forced us to be friends, because we only had each other. I want two kids too.’

Liz grasped Max’s hand tightly and squeezed it with a small smile.

‘I wonder what our kids would look like?’ he added almost wistfully, staring out the window.

Liz’s breath caught in her chest and tears welled in her eyes.

‘We have time to find out Max. When you get better we’ll have lots of time to get married, have kids and do all those things.’

Max’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, but he squeezed Liz’s hand in return before succumbing to his fatigue and closing his eyes.
Liz crept out of the room silently and sat heavily in a chair in the corridor and attempted to control her breathing. She reassured herself that Max was going to get better and that they would have that together, that they would have a family one day.

Max’s symptoms grew steadily better but then plateau-ed around the end of the second week.

Much to Max’s doctors confusion, Max’s abdomen began bloating. Their confusion grew as not only did his stomach bloat but he also picked up other non-Lassa symptoms.

They began testing him for different illnesses, but once Max’s skin took on a yellow tinge Doctor Hammond’s suspicions were confirmed.

‘Max is unwell.’

‘Well duh! He’s suffering from this stupid Lassa fever thing. You’re not giving us any new news doc.’ Alex’s sarcasm was thick as he addressed Max’s doctor.

‘No, he’s recovered from that. But right now he’s suffering from complications caused by the fever. Rare ones. Usually when Lassa gets this bad it develops what’s called multi-system disease which attacks several bodily organs, such as the liver, spleen and the kidney. However, Max’s disease seemed to only focus on his liver. The kidneys and all the other organs have barely been touched. His liver has been attacked so badly that his liver is now incapable of doing it’s job. Max’s skin has turned yellow because the liver is unable to process the bile in his body, so it’s being released throughout his body. Max is being poisoned by it.’

Max’s mother ran her hand through her hair and then gripped Liz and Izzy’s hand tightly while Phillip paced.

‘So how do we fix this problem? Christ, from complication to fucking complication…’ Phillip’s breath shortened as he watched the doctor swallow uneasily.

‘Max’s liver is beyond repair. I’m afraid he needs a transplant. Desperately. Due to the rare quality of Max’s blood type, AB negative, a donor should be difficult to find. He needs either the same blood type or O negative, because O negative has no antigens to react with Max’s blood type. That’s why it’s called the universal blood type, because anyone can receive it in a transfusion. AB negative makes up one roughly one percent of the population and O negative roughly seven percent. We’ve entered him in the registry and he’s on top of the list for a donor organ but a transplant from a live donor would be our best hope.’

Liz felt like she’d been kicked in the chest. God, this was just so unbelievable. How long did she have to suffer like this? How long would she have to watch Max grow sicker and sicker? Would she be forced to watch him die? Could she watch him die along with all her hopes and dreams? Was she strong enough?

‘Is a live donor even possible?’ asked Philip roughly after a moment of silence.

‘The liver is the only internal organ that can regenerate itself. We would only need the right lobe of the donor’s liver to make a successful transplant. If you’d like, any of the people that would like to be tested to see if they are possible matches can come with me now-’

The doctor was interrupted as they all stood and went to leave the room.

‘Oh. Right. This way.’

They headed off behind the doctor as he led them through the maze-like halls of the hospital, each one of them with both hope and dread filling their souls. They all fervently hoped that they would match but they all realised the outcome if they didn’t. With each negative match, Max’s chances of survival would grow smaller and smaller.

************

‘I’m so sorry. I’m afraid that none of you matched. Max will have to find a possible donor elsewhere.’

Nobody flinched when Phillip rammed his fist violently into the wall.

‘How are we not a match? We’re his goddamn family!’

‘Max has a rare combination of yours and Diane’s blood, it would be uncommon even to find a relative of his that has it.'

Liz bit her lip fiercely and turned to Alex.

‘Alex. Ring Michael, Maria, Kyle, Abby, Sophie and Eric. Get them down here. I want them here by tomorrow.’

Alex blinked at the ferocity in Liz’s words but wisely held his tongue and moved off to follow Liz’s orders.

Michael and Maria were the first to arrive the next day from a hurriedly organised plane trip.

‘Liz! Oh, god are you ok?’

‘Peachy keen.’ Liz spat out angrily in response to Maria’s question. ‘The love of my life is dying and I can’t do a god damn fucking thing about it. How are you?’

Maria’s eyes filled with tears as she took in the pain Liz was in. She moved in to hug her but was quickly rejected.

‘For the love of all that is holy, please don’t fucking touch me right now.’

Michael nodded and led Maria away so that they could both be tested. As they waited in the doctors office Maria broke into tears on Michael’s chest.
‘I thought seeing Max would be the worst part- but, the look on her face Michael! It’s like she’s dying with him. I can’t stand to see her like that!’

‘I know. Seeing his family like that… it’s like he’s already dead. Like they’re already grieving his loss. It’s unbearable.’

Liz’s momentary brightening when Doctor Hammond came back with Michael and Maria’s results was painful to watch.

‘I’m sorry. They’re both B blood types.’

Liz’s face fell and her shutter went back up. She waved her hand to silence Alex when he tried to reassure her.

‘Hey, Liz. How are y-’ Kyle’s question cut short as Liz turned to stare at him with dead eyes. He shuddered and turned to the three behind him. Liz did not look good at all.

Sophie and Abby exchanged glances and quickly stopped Eric from moving forward to give her a hug.

‘Not right now honey.’ Sophie whispered softly to him as he stared at her in confusion.

‘But she’s upset!’ Sophie nodded but kept her hand on his arm.

‘Which is why she wouldn’t want a hug.’

Eric frowned, obviously disagreeing with her, but wisely didn’t push the issue. Much to Liz’s relief.

She was so fucking sick of people being worried about her. Max was the one who was… who was… sick. He wasn’t dying, he would get better. He had to because Liz was certain that she couldn’t live without him.

Eric glanced back at her as he passed to go and get tested but didn’t say anything.

Once again, Liz’s hopes were squashed when the results came back negative.

Liz exhaled shakily when Doctor Hammond told her.

‘I guess that’s it then. We wait for a cadaveric liver.’

Sophie’s gentle suggestion that maybe they should prepare for the worst was promptly halted by Liz who ground out forcefully, ‘We wait for a cadaveric liver.’

Doctor Hammond moved off to tell Max and came back and asked Liz if she would see Max.

‘He asked for you.’

Preparing herself for one of the worst conversations in her life, Liz stiffened her back and slammed up a numb wall around her heart. She was getting really good at that lately.

Liz’s wall stayed strong as she sat next to Max and grasped his hand in hers.

‘Liz… If, no… when I die I want you to move on. I don’t want you to grieve for me. You should move on and find someone else to be with. You’ve got so much to live for and so much to give. Don’t lock yourself away.’

Liz’s eyes flashed with fury, her wall crumbling completely and Max was taken aback with the anger in Liz’s hissed response.

‘Move on? Move on?! Well, fuck you Max! Just how the fuck am I supposed to do that Max when you fucking own me? No one else could ever do, so you have fucking got to get better. You can’t just fucking give up on me! On us! You better fucking fight this Max or I swear to God, I don’t care how sick you are, I’ll beat the absolute shit out of you.’

Liz threw her hand up when Max went to interrupt, shocked by Liz’s extensive use of profanity.

‘NO! You listen to me! I have loved you since I can’t remember when and I don’t think I can love anyone else. You are going to get better. We’ll find a liver for you and then we’ll get married and have two kids who will play football in the… backyard…’

Liz’s voice trailed off as a memory flashed into her mind, prompted by the word football.

‘…his blood type is rare, so we have to use a substitute…’

These words flickered through her mind and her heart raced. She rose suddenly to leave, much to Max’s confusion. He called out to her but she wouldn’t be stopped.

Liz had a phone call to make.

***********

Sean awoke groggily to his phone ringing. He wasn’t surprised. Many girls had rung him since they had found out that he and Liz had broken up. They all couldn’t compare to her so he saw no point in accepting their offers.

‘Hello?’

‘Sean.’

Sean sat up straight in bed, his fatigue completely forgotten.

‘Liz! What? Why are you-’

‘If you ever meant what you said about wanting to make up for your actions then now would be an extremely good time.’

‘What’s wrong? What do you need?’

There was a pause on the other line and Sean waited anxiously for her answer.

‘You have type AB negative blood right?’
___________
A/N: even though Isabel is his twin, they're fraternal and they'd have to be identical for their blood to be guaranteed to be the same.

[Rowedog]

PART SEVENTEEN

And it came to me then that every plan
Is a tiny prayer to father time
As I stared at my shoes in the ICU
That reeked of piss and 409
And I rationed my breaths as I said to myself
That I’ve already taken too much today
As each descending peak on the LCD
Took you a little farther away from me
Away from me

Amongst the vending machines and year-old magazines
In a place where we only say goodbye
It stung like a violent wind that our memories depend
On a faulty camera in our minds
And I knew that you were a truth I would rather lose
Than to have never lain beside at all
And I looked around at all the eyes on the ground
As the TV entertained itself

‘Cause there’s no comfort in the waiting room
Just nervous pacers bracing for bad news
And then the nurse comes ‘round and everyone lift their heads
But I’m thinking of what Sarah said
That love is watching someone die

So who’s gonna watch you die? So who's gonna watch you die?

What Sarah Said by Death Cab For Cutie

*************

Liz waited impatiently outside the hospital. She had to get Sean in without anyone seeing him. Once it was verified that he was a possible donor, she’d let everyone know, but there was no point getting Max upset if Sean wasn’t able to donate a part of his liver.

She’d told everyone that she was going out to get some air and no one had even thought twice about it. She wondered where he was. Surely it couldn’t take this long to get here.

She couldn’t believe he’d agreed to be a liver donor for her boyfriend. It was so selfless and so… unlike Sean. Maybe he really was serious about making it up to her.

Her heart had almost exploded out of her chest when she remembered the football game that Sean had been injured in. He had been tackled into one of the benches, snapping it in half.

The splintered wood from the wreckage had pierced a large artery in his leg and Sean had lost so much blood that he had needed a transfusion. Liz had recalled how much trouble this had caused due to the rare quality of his blood. They had run out of his type so they’d had to give him O negative.

Liz was almost certain that Sean would be a match but she didn’t place too much hope in him. She’d been disappointed both in him and the tests before and she couldn’t bear to have her hopes destroyed again. She just couldn’t.

Sean appeared in her line of sight and she almost sighed with relief. He was finally here. Liz resented every minute that passed because it meant that it was one minute less than she had with Max.

One minute closer to his inevitable death that would happen soon if he didn’t find a donor.

‘Hey, how is he?’ Sean asked rather breathlessly as he halted in front of Liz.

‘Do you even care?’ Liz asked bluntly before quickly taking it back, ‘I’m sorry. That was really rude and unnecessary. I mean, you’re here willing to get tested to see if you can donate half of your liver to my boyfriend after travelling all this way and the first thing I do is attack you. I am sorry, it’s just that-’

Liz paused and sunk her head in her hands before adding unsteadily, ‘I’m really, really scared.’

Sean wanted to comfort her but knew that he had lost all right to do that long ago.

‘Well, hopefully I’ll be able to help. How about we go and get me tested?’ Sean suggested as brightly as he could. If he was bluntly honest with himself, Sean knew that he was absolutely terrified of going under the knife, but if it meant that Liz would forgive him then he was willing to do anything.

‘You’re right. I’ll sneak you in so that no one knows and once you’re confirmed we’ll tell everyone and they’ll be so grateful that everyone will forget about the stuff you’ve done. And if you’re not a match, we sneak you back out and they’ll all be none the wiser.’

Sean nodded his head. While he hated the secrecy, he could understand the need for it. He probably wasn’t too popular with the old gang anymore and he was pretty sure that Max’s family and friends would hate him too.

‘Let’s do this thing.’

Sean followed Liz into the hospital and swallowed. He hated hospitals, but he’d do this for Liz.

*************

‘Great news Liz! Sean is a match. We’ll have to take a day or so to conduct suitability tests and an evaluation but considering that Sean is a very fit male specimen and he and Max are roughly the same size, I can’t see any problem with him being the donor.’

‘I can.’ Muttered Sean, seeing Max’s reaction in his head while Liz stood there dazed with happiness.

‘He’ll have to undergo an MRI, a chest x-ray and he’ll have to meet with a cardiologist, a social worker and one of our transplant surgeons, this will take a couple of days.’

Max wasn’t going to die. Max wasn’t going to die. Max wasn’t going to die… Liz repeated that over and over in her head like a mantra and waited for the reality of it to sink in.

She felt like she was going to cry again and she couldn’t stand the amount she’d cried already. The overwhelming, wild joy coursing through her was electric and she felt that she couldn’t possibly wait those few days for the suitability tests. Not now that there was a chance for him.

Liz pushed up and out of her chair and headed towards the door.

‘Liz? Where are you going? We can’t tell Max anything definitive until we’ve done the suitability tests. At this stage of his illness, it’s not good to have his hopes dashed. It could progress his illness.’

Liz paused in the doorway and turned to Doctor Hammond.

‘Doc, Max needs to adjust to the idea that Sean might be his donor and the days that you’ll be conducting the suitability tests should give him just that. You see…’

Liz chewed on her lower lip and wondered how to word what she was about to say next.

‘Max hates me.’ Sean blurted out suddenly and Liz’s eyes widened. At least they weren’t going to skirt around the issue.

‘I’m Liz’s bastard ex-boyfriend and I’m willing to bet that Max would rather die than accept anything from me. But I have every faith that Liz can talk him into it. She’ll just need the time from the suitability tests to do that. And if I’m not suitable I get the feeling that Max won’t really care too much.’

Doctor Hammond’s eyes widened. ‘Well… that explains the secrecy. What will you need to talk him into it?’

Liz gestured to the hallway behind her. ‘I’ll need his family and friends. If I can get them to support me, he should cave. I’ll go talk to them right now. Sean, if you could stay here for the moment? I’ll call you when I need you.’

Sean nodded and watched as Doctor Hammond left with Liz to talk to Max’s friends and family.

‘Sean?’

Sean turned to see Liz standing nervously in the doorway.

‘Yeah?’

Fiddling nervously with her necklace Liz blurted out, ‘Are you sure about this? I mean, this is a major operation. You could die on the operating table. So I just wanted to know-’

‘Why I’m doing this?’ Liz nodded and flicked her eyes to his to try and discern his reason.

‘I figure I owe you. For all the shit and guilt I put you through during our time together and afterwards. I meant what I said in the garden. I need your forgiveness and I’m here to prove to you that I’m not a spoilt selfish, rich kid. I’m here to make things right. And while I’m absolutely terrified, I’ve never been more determined to go through with this. I need your forgiveness to move on Liz.’

Liz nodded as she took in the sincerity in his voice. ‘Thankyou.’ She whispered hoarsely, her voice thick with tears once again.

‘You’re welcome.’ Whispered Sean as she turned from the room leaving him alone once again.

*********

Liz strode into the room where the Doc had gathered them. They had all been sitting in Max’s room where he’d been moved after his Lassa had been cured and he could move out of isolation.

Doctor Hammond gestured to Liz who took the initiative to speak first. This needed to be worded just right.

‘Ok, you’re probably wondering why we called you all here. The thing is…’ Liz paused and twisted her hands nervously. It was bad enough that she had to tell all her Roswell friends about it and she was already dreading telling Max. Luckily Phillip and Diane wouldn’t care too much. Anything to keep their son alive.

‘Well, I’ve found a possible donor.’

The uproar that occurred after this statement was deafening. Diane burst into tears as all of her friends cheered, cried or hugged. Phillip grasped her in a bear hug and spun her around.

‘You clever girl! Who is this person? I want to thank them and then tell Max.’

Liz put up her hand to stop him from going too far.

‘Yeah, the problem with that is that Max doesn’t really… get along with the donor.’

Phillip frowned and asked again, ‘Who is this person?’

Liz took a deep breath in and cringed prematurely in anticipation of some of the people’s reactions.

‘Sean. My ex-boyfriend.’

Silence reigned in the room until Phillip cleared his throat. ‘Ok… so why does Max hate him? Normal jealousy or is it something more?’

Liz bit her lip. ‘Something more. There’s a bit of history there that doesn’t bear repeating but Sean’s willing to put that behind him and give Max a second chance at life. We just have to convince Max. I’ll need all of you to help me with that.’ Liz turned and looked at each of her friends in turn with a pleading look.

Eric ran his hand through his hair and shook his head in disbelief, ‘Fuck me. I can’t believe he’d do something like this. It’s so… selfless.’

Liz nodded, ‘Which is why we need to tell Max and guilt him into accepting. I really need all of you not to listen with a sympathetic ear when Max refuses and tries to get out of the transplant. You need to treat him like he’s being a stubborn, immature, jealous, pedantic idiot. Do I have you all on board?’

Nods and mutterings of “yes” were heard or seen all around the room and Liz sighed in relief.

‘I know that I don’t have any idea about what went between them, but surely Max’s reaction won’t be that bad? Would he really rather die than accept Sean’s liver?’

Liz turned to Diane and nodded. ‘It’s a definite possibility. Max has always hated Sean and they even got into a fist fight over me at the start of the school year. Plus, up until recently, Sean has been trying to get me back.’
Mutterings coursed through the group and Maria turned to Alex, ‘Did you know about the fight?’

Alex shook his head just as Diane spoke.

‘Well, I don’t care what he’s done in the past. If he’s here and willing to save my son then I’m giving him my support and gratitude.’

‘Me too.’ Liz flashed her brother a grateful smile and then turned to the door with a frown. Telling Max was definitely not going to be this easy.

*********

‘No! No fucking way! I am not having a liver transplant from that piece of dick cheese! I can’t believe you even called him! What on earth were you thinking Liz?’

Liz sat beside Max’s bed with an unaffected and slightly bored air.

‘Oh, I don’t know. Maybe I was thinking that I wanted you to live.’

Liz’s sarcastic tone wasn’t lost on Max. He groaned tore his hands through his hair in frustration.

‘So you’d resort to anything to keep me alive? What did he ask for in return for his liver? A blowjob? A quickie? Your hand in marriage?’

Liz’s anger spiked but she kept it under control beneath her mask of calmness.

‘Don’t be ridiculous. Sean is doing this out of the kindness of his heart. He’s being mature enough to get past the problems you’ve had in the past to save your life. Beggars can’t be choosers Max.’

The frustration on Max’s face told Liz that she was winning but she kept her victory out of her expression.

‘Did you forget about the Christmas incident Liz? What if he’s just doing this in the hope that I’ll die in there and he’ll be the noble ex-boyfriend who did all he could do to help and be there to comfort you in your time of grief? Or, he’s hoping that by doing this he’ll prove to you that he’s not so shallow and you’ll take him back?’

Liz raised her eyebrows and smothered her laughter.

‘Do you have any idea how ridiculous you sounded just then? Even if those are his hopes, you’re still getting a liver out of the deal and there’s no chance I’d ever take him back. You know how unhappy I was with him. Are you… threatened by him, Max?’

‘NO! I just don’t like him.’ Max could hear the petulant note in his voice and could tell that he was fighting a losing battle.

Liz rolled her eyes and pulled her lip back in disgust. ‘So that’s it. You’re going to be a petty idiot and die just so that you can have nothing to do with him. You’re going to look a gift horse in the mouth and die for your cause like a martyr. Jesus Christ, Max! I thought you were smarter than that.’

Max’s mouth snapped open and he flapped it a few times without saying anything. Liz crowed internally with triumph as she watched Max’s determination go down the drain.

Liz rose from her chair and headed towards the exit.
‘Hey! Where are you going?’ Max called out to her as she reached the doorway.

‘I’m heading outside to go talk to your mother who is crying because she’s so happy that we’ve found a donor for you. When you’ve grown up enough to see this transplant as the gift that it is, I’ll talk to you again. Till then…’

Liz waggled her fingers at him in a wave while he protested and she headed cheerfully out the door where the others had been shamelessly eavesdropping.

‘Jesus Christ Liz! You have guilt tripping and brow beating down to an art form!’

Liz nodded her head at Michael who was staring at her completely awestruck and the carefree expression that she’d worn in the room dropped from her face abruptly.

‘Now it’s your turn. You can’t let him speak for the first couple of minutes, just speak over the top of him telling him how it’s a miracle and how excited you are. Diane, if you could keep that teary expression going? That should really get him. And when you finally allow him to speak, treat him like a bad tempered spoilt little brat who’s just having a temper tantrum. If we do this just right, he’ll cave.’

Phillip shook his head in disgust. ‘I can’t believe all this is even necessary, I thought I raised my son to be a man, not an idiot.’

Liz nodded her head in appraisal. ‘That’s a good one. Use that line in there. Remember it’s no holds barred people. His life is at stake here and he needs that liver. And I am not letting Sean anywhere near him until he’s gotten past this idiotic, macho, stubborn phase. We need to work quickly. Can someone come get me when he has agreed to it?’

Eric assured her that he would and Liz sat in a plastic chair outside his door as the group filed in. Softly, under her breath, Liz whispered, ‘This had better work.’

*************

‘Oh, honey! Isn’t it wonderful! It’s like a miracle! You’ve found a donor liver and you can get back to your life!’ Diane’s tears, though needed to help convince Max, were completely real as she said this. She was so happy that she was crying.

‘I’m just so- Oh, there’s no words!’

Max cringed at his mother’s hopeful expression and went to say something. Maria cut him off before he could begin though.

‘Are you excited? God knows we are! We’ve all been so worried about you Max and now you can get better and grow old with Liz. I can’t believe how lucky you are to have found a donor considering how rare your blood type is and the rarity of cadaver organs made that option almost impossible. It’s a miracle.’

Max was cut off once again and he almost groaned in annoyance. They were not making this easy for him.

‘I know exactly what you mean, Maria. I don’t know if I could handle it if you died Max. You’re my brother and you’ve always been there and-’

Isabel’s voice quavered and she broke off into a sob and leant into Alex’s embrace who rubbed her back soothingly while speaking loud enough for Max to hear.

‘It’s ok Izzy. He’s getting a donor organ. He’s going to get a new chance at life.’

Max couldn’t believe it as one by one they all addressed him without letting him get a word in edgeways.

It was Eric who finally made Max snap.

‘I mean how lucky could you be? You get a donor just in the nick of time-’

‘STOP!’ They all turned to look at Max who was sitting puffing in annoyance and guilt in his hospital bed.

‘I can’t accept his liver. I’m sorry but I can’t.’

‘And why not?’ Max swallowed at the grim tone in his father’s voice and faltered as he replied, ‘I-it’s the principle of the matter. He’s an asshole-’

‘So?! It’s not like his liver’s going to infect you and turn you into an asshole! I don’t care if you hate him! You’re accepting his liver because this isn’t a case of foolish pride, it’s a matter of life and death. But if you’re too selfish to swallow your pride for your own family then please feel free to rid us of your egotistical presence.’ Max gaped at the angry sarcasm spewing from his gentle mother’s previously demure mouth.

‘Yeah Max, if you’re willing to die over stupid jealousy issues then we’re more than willing to let you go. I thought I raised my son to be a man, not an idiot.’

Max’s mouth gaped as his family and friends rounded on him with incredulous and pissed off faces.

‘It’s not like a donor organ is my only hope, there are cadaveric livers-’ Max weakly argued without conviction, already envisioning his defeat.

‘We both know that there’s no hope in hell of you getting one in time, Max. Be a real man and accept this chance at life with gratitude. Get over your issues.’ Michael took over from Phillip as he finished.

‘Sean isn’t a bad guy, Max. Liz wouldn’t have been with him for three and a half years if he was a complete asshole. You’ve only seen the heartbroken Sean who was a little nuts. You’re just pissed because he’s seen Liz naked. Get off your high horse, you martyr.’

Max sunk his head in his hands and sighed.

‘Alright!’ He grudgingly ground out with a disbelieving shake of his head. ‘I’ll take the freaking liver.’

‘Don’t look too happy about it Max,’ smirked Maria from the end of his bed. ‘You know you could show some gratitude. He is saving your life after all so that you can spend it with his ex-girlfriend who he’s still madly in love with. It’s not like he wouldn’t be better off if you died.’

Max concurred with Maria’s sarcastic point and lay back in bed completely exhausted from arguing. He was ill and this emotional arguing had worn him down completely.

His family and friends left to inform the doctor of the good news and Max was left alone to reflect on what had happened. After the shock of finding out that it was going to be Sean who was going to donate a part of his liver to him, Max found that he was actually excited and grateful.

While he wished it wasn’t Sean, now that he had had some sense knocked into him he was relieved that there was a donor at all. They were all right. Max didn’t want to die and he was being slightly pathetic.

All right, he reluctantly conceded, he was being very pathetic.

He needed to live, he needed to be with Liz and if he had to get a part of Sean’s liver to do that then that’s what he’d do.

Sinking in to his pillows, Max fell into a deep sleep.

*********

Max awoke to find Liz sitting next to bed.

‘Hey.’

‘Hey. So you finally decided that you wanted to live? Can I ask what swayed your decision? Self preservation? Guilt?’

Max smiled lazily at her. ‘You did. I can’t live without you and I don’t want you to live without me.’ Liz smiled at him and then nodded in agreement as he added, ‘That and I was being a tool about it. A stubborn, petty tool. I’d rather that the donor wasn’t Sean, but I’ll take what I can get.’

Liz smiled at him and said with a warning tone in her voice, ‘And you’ll be civil to Sean?’

Max nodded ruefully, ‘Yeah. I suppose I’ll have to thank him too.’

‘Yeah. Just not too much. He’s pretty unsure of how to take all this gratitude. Your Mom’s been crying and thanking him profusely and he looks really uncomfortable. A simple, short one would suffice.’

Max nodded and turned to her.

‘So where is he?’ Max asked with curiosity.

‘He’s undergoing suitability tests right now. And if he passes those, it’s go time.’

Max looked concerned and asked hesitantly, ‘Is there much chance he’ll fail those tests?’

Liz shook her head. ‘There’s a chance but from what Doctor Hammond told me it’s pretty slim.’

‘You realise that even if I survive the surgery, there’s still the chance of complications after surgery, like infections or my body rejecting the liver? This isn’t a sure bet.’

Liz nodded and grabbed his hands clutching them to her heart. ‘Feel that? It’s my heart beat and it beats for you. So I have faith that everything will work out ok, because I can’t accept anything else. It’ll be fine. We’ll be fine and we’ll grow old together. Ok?’

Max grinned and raised his hand to stroke her cheek. ‘Yes Ma’am.’

‘Good, because although I like a tan, you’re taking it a bit far with your banana complexion.’

Max laughed and looked down at his abnormally yellow skin.

‘Let’s hope Sean’s liver will take care of that problem.’

Liz lay her head on Max’s chest and he stroked her hair gently with adoration shining in his eyes.

‘Thankyou.’

Liz raised her head and looked at him in confusion.

‘What for?’

‘For being there for me throughout all this. I know it must have been extremely hard for you and other girls would have cut and run.’

Liz shook her head and looked at him with incredulity.

‘I’m not other girls, Max. There was no place else I could have been.’

‘God I fucking love you.’ The rough sincerity in Max’s voice brought tears to Liz’s eyes and a tremulous smile to her face.

‘Ditto.’

***********

‘Sean passed all suitability tests and given the severity of Max’s condition we’ve arranged a surgery for tomorrow morning. We just need Max’s and Phillip’s signature on a couple of consent forms.’

Max looked stunned by Doctor Hammond’s news and blinked in astonishment. This was really happening. A couple of days ago he’d been preparing for death and now there was a chance that he could make it.

It was just so surreal.

He kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. He hadn’t even seen Sean yet apart from a passing glimpse of him going past his room.

Liz had passed on his thanks but he still didn’t feel right about the silence between them. He needed to talk to him about it and suss out his reasons for helping him.

He wanted to believe that Sean was just doing this out of the kindness of his heart but he was still wary.

Max was thrilled that his surgery would be tomorrow considering how quickly his condition was deteriorating. He was getting sicker and sicker by the hour it seemed and Max wasn’t sure how long he would last at this rate.

For the first time since he had heard that Sean was donating his liver, Max was truly, truly grateful. It was one thing to be told that you were going to die, but it was another to feel your body begin to shut down.

Max was terrified of falling asleep now because he was worried that he might not wake up.

Right before visitor hours finished, Max made a decision, considering he wouldn’t see anyone really before his surgery.

Scribbling a note, Max beckoned Michael over once he was done.

‘Take this. Read it once you’re alone.’

‘This better not be some pussy “I’m gonna die so I need to tell you that I love you and you’re my best friend” shit, Max. Cos, you’re going to make it out of there and grow old and have brunette, nerdy, freakishly good-looking kids with Liz.’

‘It’s not. I just don’t want to waste anymore time.’

Michael frowned at Max’s cryptic words but left as the nurse shooed him out.

Max leant back into his pillows and prepared himself for another restless, fatiguing night.

**********

Sean pulled in a huge breath. He was enormously terrified but he knew he had to do this. He sat on the hospital bed and prepared himself for tomorrow. He felt so nervous he was naseous.

‘Hey.’

Sean pulled out of his musings to see Eric standing nervously at the doorway.

‘Eric! Uh, what are you, um, doing here?’ things had been awkward between them since the “incident”. Eric had refused to talk to his best friend and Sean had greatly bemoaned the loss of Eric’s friendship.

‘Just came to check and see that you were alright with what’s about to happen. I know you hate hospitals because of your grandma’s cancer battle so I thought I’ just come… check.’ Eric finished lamely feeling like a complete idiot.

‘Thanks, man. That really means a lot.’

They were both silent for a moment and then both tried to speak at the same time.

‘Look, I’m-’

‘So, I wanted to-’

Sean laughed with embarrassment and gestured with his hand.

‘You go first.’

Eric nodded and began again. ‘I just wanted to say… that I think it’s really great what you’re doing for Max. It’s really big of you.’

Sean smiled and then his face fell.

‘I’m not doing it for him, Eric. I’m doing it for Liz.’

Eric’s face fell and he shook his head, ‘Please don’t tell me you’re doing it so you can get Liz back, cos-’

‘No!’ Eric was taken aback by the forcefulness in Sean’s tone. He added in a gentler tone, ‘I’m doing it to make up for the shit things I’ve done. And so I can make things right and move on. I don’t… I don’t want to be the asshole ex anymore. I want to move on.’

Eric sighed in relief. ‘Welcome back man. I’ve been wondering where my best friend was hiding.’

Sean’s face lit up for the first time in months, ‘Best friend?’

Eric sat himself on the bed next to him. ‘Believe it or not, I’ve missed your ugly ass. I’d like to try and be friends again. Just promise me you won’t go mental over another chick, ok?’

Sean laughed and nodded his head. ‘I learnt my lesson the hard way with that one.’

Grasping Sean briefly in a hug, Eric then rose, clapping him lightly on the back.

‘Good luck tomorrow, man.’

***********

The next morning Sean and Max were prepped for surgery as both tried in vain to calm their jitters. They were both sent off by the gang and Max and Liz’s parents. Sean looked away as Liz kissed Max but good-naturedly accepted her thanks for going through with the surgery, without bitterness.

He was trying. He really was.

Max and Sean waited impatiently for the surgery to begin, they’d been left alone in their trolley beds in what they assumed was the transition room, where they placed patients momentarily while they checked to see if the O.R. was ready for them, before wheeling them into the actual operating room.

Sean scratched his chin and attempted some small talk.

‘God I hate hospitals.’

Max turned and looked at him with questioning eyes.

‘Why are you doing this?’

Sean opened his mouth to speak but Max interrupted him again, ‘I’m your ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend. By all rights you should wish death upon me, but here you are, about to undergo life threatening, major surgery for me. Or is it for Liz?’

Sean sighed. Everyone thought that this was a twisted, last ditch attempt for him to get Liz back. Trying to be as honest as possible, Sean replied, ‘Liz loves you. I know that. Everyone knows that, it’s written all over your faces that you’re in love. I’ve accepted that Liz and I just aren’t meant to be. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to make things right with her. I need Liz to see that I’m not a self-indulgent, spoilt, rich kid.’

Max nodded slightly appeased. ‘So you are doing this for Liz. Just not for the reasons I thought.’

Sean sank his head back into the pillow. ‘Do you think that I could live with myself if I let Liz lose the most important thing in her life? Do you think I could see her hurt like that knowing that I could have done something? I bear you no ill will Max-’

Sean paused and said one of the hardest things he’d ever had to say in his life, ‘Just make her happy. Make her happy… the way I couldn’t. It’s all I ask in return for my liver. By doing this, I’m finally letting go of her. I’m making things right so I can return to my life and move on. Please don’t ever hurt her and make me regret my decision.’

‘You have my word.’

Sean glanced across and read the sincerity in Max’s face and was satisfied.

‘Good.’

The moment was interrupted by the return of the nurses.

‘You two ready?’

Max nodded.

‘As ready as I’ll ever be.’

‘Let’s do this thing.’ Sean’s voice quavered but his resolution was firm. He needed to do this.

‘Ok, then.’

The swinging doors hit the end of their beds and the clang of metal hitting the wood held a note of finality.

There was no going back now.

[Rowedog]

PART EIGHTEEN

Max opened his eyes in confusion, the anaesthetic was only beginning to wear off and he was still not quite aware of his surroundings.

Attempting to talk, Max’s attempt was squashed by the ventilator tube in his throat which blocked any endeavour at communicating.
As he began to choke, his tube was promptly extracted, much to his relief.

‘Excellent sign, you can breathe unassisted. Max, can you tell me where you are?’

‘Hospital.’ Max croaked out as the numbness fled his body leaving a sickening pain.

‘Very good.’ Doctor Hammond paused and took in Max’s expression. ‘I’m sorry Max. Under usual transplant conditions you’d be given more painkillers, but seeing as it’s the liver that breaks the drugs down, you get a minimal dosage. The pain gets less and less each day though. You should be well enough to move out of ICU in two days and out of the hospital in a month.’

Max groaned and shut his eyes as the aching pain coursed through his body pulsing at the large incision that was sewn back together just above his mid section.

Doctor Hammond inspected him briefly for a few minutes that were like a nightmare for Max. Each time he moved the pain sawed through him. He wished that they could put him under anaesthetic until his wound was completely healed.

All he wanted to do was go to sleep and wake up pain free.

Briefly his thoughts flickered to Sean. Noticing Sean’s absence from the ward, his pulse spiked and he felt guilt pool in his chest.

‘Doc.’ He rasped ignoring the pain that inevitable followed when he spoke or even moved.

‘Max? Is something wrong?’

‘Sean. Where-?’

Doctor Hammond could hear the breathless worry in Max’s voice and rushed to reassure him

‘Ssh Max, it’s ok. Sean’s condition isn’t as serious as yours. He doesn’t need to be in the ICU. He only gave his liver, he didn’t receive it. There’s a much bigger chance that something will happen to you, rejection, infection, all those types of things. Which is why we need to keep you under constant surveillance here. Sean should be able to go home in six days, in fact.’

Max let the relief wash over him and closed his eyes pushing back the pain in an attempt to sleep. He could rest now.

************

Liz leapt to her feet along with the dozen or so people who were also waiting for news about Max as they spotted Doctor Hammond heading towards them.

Without waiting for their questions, Doctor Hammond jumped right in. ‘The surgery appears to be a success, both Sean and Max are recovering. Sean is in room 104 if you’d like to visit him, however Max is in the Intensive Care Unit and you won’t be able to see him until he has been moved out of there in around two days time.’

‘Max is in ICU? Why? Were there complications?’ Liz’s voice held an anxious quality which Doctor Hammond rushed to soothe.

‘No, all patients receiving transplants get put there. We need to monitor his condition very closely to make sure that nothing’s wrong. He won’t be up to receiving visitors for a couple of days because we can’t give either of them too much pain medication because it’s the liver that breaks the drugs down. Sean will be slightly better though but he still won’t be great company.’

Liz thanked Doctor Hammond and headed off to Sean’s room with Eric.

************

‘Hey, Mr Hero. How you holding up?’ Eric asked gently when they took in Sean’s fatigued and pained expression.

‘Great.’ He croaked before asking, ‘Max ok?’

Eric and Liz exchanged pleasantly surprised looks that Sean missed due to his grogginess and his pain.

‘Yeah. He’s fine. Thanks to you,’ replied Liz gently with gratitude.

Moving over to his bed, Liz gasped when she saw the long line of staples and sutures on Sean’s abdomen.

‘Oh my God… I didn’t think the incision would be that big. That’s going to leave an enormous scar.’

Eric smiled and gave them both the thumbs up.

‘It’s not that bad. In fact if anything, Sean will only get more action with that huge scar.’

Liz’s brow furrowed and she asked with curiosity, ‘How do you figure?’

‘He gave half of his liver to his ex girlfriend’s boyfriend so that they could live happily ever after. What chick isn’t going to hear that story and immediately want to jump his manly, sensitive, self-sacrificing bones?’

Liz laughed lightly and nodded, ‘I see your point. The only problem is that he’ll have to wait a while before he can put that line to good use.’

Sean laughed weakly and replied, ‘Can’t wait to try it out after I heal.’

Liz smiled and was glad to see Sean was ready to start dating again. She had heard from many others that Sean had basically been wallowing in self pity this whole time, not willing to go out and give other girls a shot.

Sean’s eyes drifted shut and Liz and Eric took this as their cue to leave. ‘Thanks Sean.’ Liz whispered as they left and the corner of Sean’s mouth tilted in a semi smile.

‘For the last time, you’re welcome.’

**********

Two days later Max was moved from the ICU into the acute care unit and finally allowed to see everyone. They crowded around him and asked him how he was. Max smiled and replied, ‘Slightly better, thanks.’

Doctor Hammond shook his head and addressed the group. ‘He’s more than slightly better. His recovery is amazing in it’s progress. But then again he is young and very fit.’

Liz beamed at him and ran her fingers through his hair, unable to grasp that Max was finally getting better. It seemed like another life time that they had both been carefree and well.

‘So, does that mean that his body isn’t rejecting the liver? Is he going to be fine after this? Is this it?’

Doctor Hammond heard the hesitation in Liz’s voice and he knew she was both dreading and eagerly anticipating the answer. She needed reassurance that this was all over.

‘We can’t know anything for sure just yet, but his progress is looking good. There is a risk of infection until the wound heals and then there’s always the chance that Max’s body rejects Sean’s liver, but we’ll be having close monitoring of him until then. He’ll be in for MRI’s and x-rays and all sorts of tests over the next six months after his hospital release. We’ll keep him on the donor list until we’re sure that Max’s body has accepted the liver.’

Liz smiled and shooed everyone out so that Max could have some alone time with his family, but not before Max and Michael spoke quietly and Michael slipped something into his hand which Max shoved quickly under the covers.

Liz left the room and rushed outside into the fresh air. Everything seemed to be going well but she still couldn’t shake the feeling that something was going to go wrong again.

It seemed to her that once things started to get better something else would come along to ruin it. She was just so sick of waiting. She knew that this would take time but she just wanted her boyfriend back, whole and well.

Sighing she turned back to re-enter the building after about fifteen minutes of quiet contemplation. As soon as she reached Max’s door, she noticed that her mother and Diane were smiling with tears in their eyes, Philip and her Dad were grinning and Alex and Izzy looked stunned.

The rest of the gang looked nonplussed and shrugged when she gave them questioning looks. Except for Michael who looked strangely smug.

‘Liz, honey,’ Diane said brightly through her tears, ‘Max wants to speak with you.’

Liz frowned, thinking of his health. ‘Shouldn’t he be getting some rest?’

‘He can handle one more visit and he’s asking for you.’

Liz paused then shrugged and headed inside.

‘Hey, our families are acting weird…’ Liz drifted off as she caught Max’s intense stare. ‘Ok-ay… and now you are too.’

Max’s mouth twitched into a smile and Liz headed over to his bed and sat down on it facing him.

Max grasped her hand and traced patterns on it with his free hand.
Looking up Max caught Liz’s querying gaze and he smiled.

‘Do you remember that day when Tess attacked you in the middle school playground?’

Liz nodded her head. The memory was pretty much burned indelibly into her brain.

‘Yeah. She told me that you two were together and then tried to hit me. You stopped her and then took me back home for ice cream if I recall correctly.’

Max’s smile took on a soft reflective note. ‘You do recall correctly. That’s one of my favourite memories.’

Liz’s eyebrows drew together as she stared at him incredulously. ‘Oh yeah, mine too. I just love being attacked.’

Max rolled his eyes at her sarcastic tone and replied with a soft kiss to her hand, ‘No, it’s because I was there to protect you. I haven’t really been able to do that lately, you’ve been the one taking care of me.’

‘That might have something to do with the fact that you were deathly ill, Max.’

‘Yeah, I know. It’s made me realise something.’

‘And what might that be, pray tell?’ Liz asked gently rubbing her thumb over Max’s knuckles.

‘I want us to always be there to take care of each other.’ Before Liz could interrupt, Max held up his hand and continued. ‘I love you Liz and I want to be there for you. This sickness has really opened my eyes to just how fragile and precious time is. We’ve already wasted enough time. Those four years in high school and even before that-’

Liz interrupted him there, ‘Max I needed those years with Sean so that I could fully appreciate you.’

Max smiled and stroked her cheek, ‘I know. So did I. I’m not saying that I wish we could go back, I’m saying that time is precious which is why I’m not waiting any longer. I’m going to take charge of my life and stop putting this off.’

Liz’s heart beat in anticipation and her chest felt tight. She asked hesitantly, ‘Stop putting what off?’

Max’s eyes flicked to hers and held her gaze. ‘I was going to wait until graduation to ask you this. But I can’t wait. Why should I wait when everything feels right, now?’ reaching under the sheets with his free hand, Max flipped open a velvet box and presented it to her. Liz stared at the diamond ring and tears blurred her eyes.

‘Max… how-?’ she croaked out over the top of the lump gathering in her throat.

‘I got Michael to get it for me before the surgery. I’ve had it for a couple of months.’

Liz’s tears spilled down onto her cheeks as she continued to stare at the diamond ring. Max grasped her hand tighter and directed her attention to him.

‘Elizabeth Parker, will you marry me?’

**********

Liz’s mouth flapped open and more tears spilled down her cheeks. Max waited with baited breath and anxiety as she remained silent. Was this really what she wanted? She had said so when he was sick, but perhaps she was just humouring him.

‘Yes.’ Liz whispered so softly that Max almost didn’t hear it.

‘Yes?’ Max repeated, his head not quite believing it.

‘Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! Of course I’ll marry you, you big idiot!’ Liz sobbed as she threw her arms around Max’s neck and held him gently, wary of his stitches.

Max’s heart just about burst in his chest as he held her shaking body to him.

Both laughing and crying as he slipped the ring on her finger, Liz pulled back and kissed him hungrily, weeks of worry, love and fear were poured into that kiss with the added kicker of intense happiness.

Pulling back, Liz wiped her eyes in vain, she was unable to stop crying. Her sobbing worried and confused Max. He couldn’t tell what she was feeling.

‘Liz, honey, stop crying. It kills me to see you cry.’

Liz laughed and more tears spilled down her cheeks.

‘They’re tears of happiness and relief you twit. You have no idea how hard these past couple of weeks have been. I just-’ Liz’s voice broke and she dissolved into tears again.

Gathering her into his arms as best he could with his wound, Max stroked her hair and whispered soothing noises to her till her crying died down.

‘Max, are you sure you want to do this? You’re not just freaked out by your whole ordeal are you? Cos-’

Max held a silencing finger to her lips.

‘Liz, I’ve had this ring for months now. This isn’t something that I decided on the spur of the moment. Yes, the decision to do it now was helped along by my illness, but the feelings behind it are real. I’m still not out of the woods yet and I just wanted you to know how serious I am about you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.’

Liz smiled and then looked towards the door.

‘Should we tell them it’s ok to come in?’ she asked, certain that Alex and Isabel would be listening at the door.

‘In a minute. I want one more kiss from my fiancée before everyone ruins our privacy.’

Liz grinned widely, unable to contain her glee at being his fiancée.

Bending down and granting him his request, Liz then turned to the door and yelled, ‘You can come in now, Alex!’

**********

Alex sheepishly opened the door with their families and Michael hot on his heels. They stood in the doorway with the rest of the gang trailing behind in confusion. They had no idea what was going on.

‘Well?’ asked Alex uncertainly, glancing at Liz’s tear streaked face.

Holding up her hand for them all to see her ring, Liz couldn’t contain the pride and excitement in her voice as she exclaimed, ‘I’m getting married!’

The gang stood in shock as Liz and Max’s family erupted into chaos with cheering and hugging. Liz was passed around from hug to hug as the gang, minus Michael, tried to grasp what had happened.

‘Oh, I’m just so happy!’ cried Diane as she clung to Liz who good naturedly patted her back with a long suffering glance at Max. This was going to be a common theme today, she could tell.

Sophie was the first to recover. ‘You’re getting married? Wow, that was quick!’

Liz smiled at her with a smirk, ‘Yeah, but you know, a wise person once told me to seize the day, “You know… carpe diem and shit”.’

Sophie giggled and then noticed the weird looks she was getting. ‘I never said that.’

‘Actually, she did. I was there.’ Abby pointed out happily as she moved in to give Liz a congratulatory hug.

Liz smiled and then snapped her fingers as she remembered something.
‘Izzy, Abby, Soph, Maria? Would you girls like to be my bridesmaids?’ the squealing that erupted at this statement could have ruptured anyone’s eardrums. Once it had died down, Liz turned to Maria, ‘Think you can handle being my maid of honour?’

Maria’s eyes welled with tears and she covered her face momentarily before asking, ‘Me? Are you sure?’

‘Being my oldest and best friend makes you very cut out for the job.’
Maria grabbed Liz in a tight hug and held her and Max took this time to turn to Michael.

‘What do you say? Want to be my best man?’ Michael grinned and clapped him on the shoulder in response. Max took his silence as the acceptance it was and turned to the rest of the guys while the girls discussed bridesmaid dresses.

‘You do realise that you have to be groomsmen now right?’ the groan was universal but Eric recovered first.

‘I guess we’ll have to. Anything to make old Zabbers happy. And you of course.’

Max smiled and shook his head. He couldn’t wait to start the rest of his life with Liz.

**********

Eric entered the room and his heart warmed when he saw Liz’s smiling face. It had only been a week since Max had proposed and his progress was completely astounding.

Both Eric and Liz had broken it gently to Sean before he left the hospital that Liz and Max were getting married. He had taken it pretty well, all things considered, but he was still hurt.

Eric had asked him, through Liz’s prompting, if he wanted to come to the wedding but Sean had politely declined. He didn’t need the reminder of what could have been shoved in his face.

‘Lizzy, is that a smile I see on your face? No… it couldn’t be… could it? She of the perpetual frown is happy? Does this have anything to do with Max’s near brush with death and his astounding recovery? Perhaps a wanted marriage proposal this time?’ teased Eric gently with a huge grin on his face.

‘Yeah, Liz had her Michael Bolton moment and now she’s all better. Aren’t you sweety?’

Serena patted her head condescendingly and Liz’s smile grew. She couldn’t stop the feelings of joy that burst through her at the simplistic pleasure of laughing and joking with friends. God, she’d missed this!

‘Michael Bolton?’ Michael asked in complete confusion.

Serena smiled at him serenely before bursting into song.

‘Tell me how am I supposed to live without you? Now that I’ve been loving you so lo-o-ong!’

Michael’s face fell into a slightly repulsed grimace.

‘Liz, your roommate’s weird.’

‘Liz, your friend’s a derro.’ Retorted Serena without missing a beat, before skipping out of the room to find Tom.

Michael’s confusion returned with a vengeance. ‘What’s a derro?’

Liz couldn’t help herself. She burst into loud, long, well overdue laughter. She’d forgotten what it was like to be without burden and worry in the past few weeks and now that her worrying was past, she felt almost hysterical with joy.

She was so happy it was almost painful. Max’s wound was healing nicely and his skin had returned to it’s natural colour. She was almost certain that his body wasn’t going to reject Sean’s liver. But she couldn’t let her guard down for a while yet. There was still a chance that it could and she wasn’t going to take anything for granted.

‘Michael really has a way with words doesn’t he?’ asked Max sarcastically, ignoring Michael’s presence.

‘Hey! You shouldn’t tease me, you should be thanking me. I was this close to getting Alex to hack into the blood bank data base for you so I could hunt down a potential donor and then cut out that person’s liver.’

‘I was this close to agreeing.’ Replied Alex glibly.

Not to be outdone, Eric said, ‘Well, I was two seconds away from running out and buying you some pate, dude.’

‘Pate?’ asked Max in confusion.

‘It’s made out of liver.’ Replied Eric seriously, cloaking his amusement.
Max laughed and then groaned as the ever present ache turned into as sharp stab.

‘Ow. Let’s keep the joviality to a minimum for a while until my cut’s healed, ok?’

‘You heard the man, let’s wait till the bachelor party for the real fun to begin!’ Kyle rubbed his hands eagerly together as he stated this and received a whack across the head from Abby.

‘Ow woman! What was that for?’

‘For even thinking about going to a strip club.’Abby responded calmly before returning to her book.

Kyle looked distressed at her obvious dismissal, ‘Aw come on Abs! Don’t be like that. We only go to look, not to touch!’

Abby lowered her book and levelled him with an intense look. ‘Why pay when you can have it for free? I’ll guarantee touching as well.’

Kyle’s gaze darkened and he was about to move towards her when Michael pulled him back.

‘This is a hospital dude and you’re going to have a lot more sick people in here if you do what you’re about to do.’
Kyle scowled at him and then Abby for toying with him before returning to his seat.

Max smiled delightedly when he heard Liz’s laughter again. He was so glad to see Liz happy again, she’d been down for far too long.

**********

(three months later)
‘I, Elizabeth Parker take you, Max Evans, to be my friend, my lover, the father of my children and my husband. I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care and protect you, to comfort and encourage you, and stay with you, for all eternity.’

Liz’s voice cracked and she could feel the tears welling in her eyes. This moment was so beautiful and it was hard to believe that a couple of months ago she thought she might never have it.
Rubbing a thumb over her knuckles with a besotted smile, Max recited his well learnt vows back to her.

‘I, Max Evans, take you, Elizabeth Parker, to be my friend, my lover, the mother of my children and my wife. I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care and protect you, to comfort and encourage you, and stay with you, for all eternity.’

Liz couldn’t take her eyes off of Max, she felt the deep seated happiness rush through her once again, putting her on cloud nine. Max had recovered so well. His scar was still prominent and red but in time it would fade. He just looked so healthy and vibrant now and Liz was almost sure that Max’s body was accepting Sean’s liver.

When the marriage celebrant reached the part about anyone having any objections to their union the congregation laughed when Sophie turned round with her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face ready to stare down anyone who dared to speak up.

Luckily Tess wasn’t there and the ceremony went without a hitch.

‘Do you, Elizabeth Parker, take Max Evans to be your lawfully wedded husband?’

Without hesitation, Liz replied, ‘I do.’

‘And do you, Max Evans, take Elizabeth Parker to be your lawfully wedded husband?’

‘I do.’ Max replied with absolute certainty.

‘Then I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.’

Max and Liz shared a laugh when Max struggled with her veil that was far too long in his opinion. He finally got it over her head and bringing a hand up to cup her cheek, kissed her so sweetly and gently that it brought tears to her eyes.

All the women in attendance were in tears and as per Abby’s prediction those many months ago, Eric could be heard saying, ‘I’ve just got something in my eye.’

Liz was so happy, she had just gotten married to the man of her dreams in Roswell, New Mexico with her entire family and friends in attendance. Max had offered her Chicago as another alternative but she had been adamant about Roswell, much to Max’s relief.

She had wanted to get married in the place where it had all started for them. The place where they had grown up together as children and then rediscovered each other. As they left the Church and rushed outside to their limousine, Liz knew that this day was absolutely perfect and that she would treasure this day in her memory always.

************

The reception flew for Liz and Max but two very distinct memories stood out for them.

The first memeory was their first dance as man and wife. Max and Liz had picked their song and had swayed together as one before everyone had joined them on the floor.

And I'd give up forever to touch you,
Cause I know that you feel me somehow.
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be,
And I don't want to go home right now.

And all I can taste is this moment,
And all I can breathe is your life,
And sooner or later it's over,
I just don't want to miss you tonight.

Resting her head on Max’s shoulder as his arms held her to him, Liz had never felt more at peace in her life. She and Max had finally done it. They were well and truly together now. She was Mrs Evans.

And I don't want the world to see me,
Cause I don't think that they'd understand.
When everything's meant to be broken,
I just want you to know who I am.

And you cant fight the tears that ain't coming,
Or the moment of the truth in your lies.
When everything feels like the movies,
Yeah you bleed just to know you're alive.

‘So… Mrs Evans.’ Liz’s smile grew that fraction wider as he called her by her new name.

‘Yes, Mr Evans?’ asked Liz still wearing that face splitting grin.

‘How are you feeling?’ he asked gently brushing a kiss to her shoulder.

Liz smiled up at him adoringly and replied softly, ‘Never better. I’m so happy I could burst.’

‘Ditto, Liz. ditto.’

Liz leant her head on Max’s chest yet again and let the music wash over her.

And I don't want the world to see me,
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand.
When everything's meant to be broken,
I just want you to know who I am.

And I don't want the world to see me,
Cause I don't think that they'd understand.
When everything's meant to be broken,
I just want you to know who I am.

And I don't want the world to see me,
Cause I dont think that they'd understand.
When everything's meant to be broken,
I just want you to know who I am.
I just want you to know who I am.
I just want you to know who I am.
I just want you to know who I am.

Liz lifted her head from Max’s shoulder and kissed him softly as the song came to a close.

Their second favourite moment of the night began with Abby’s graceful entrance onto the stage. Speaking into the microphone, Abby gestured to her left over by the curtain.

‘Back by popular demand is the smooth, stylish vocals of Eric Mornatt and Sophie Betts!’

Liz glanced at Max who looked just as puzzled as she did. Eric and Sophie both wobbled their way over to the centre of the stage, clearly drunk by this stage, and Sohie grabbed the microphone that stood there.

‘This one goes out to my girl Zab and her man Max.’

As the familiar strains of ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ by Bonnie Tyler came on, Liz clapped a hand over her horrified mouth which was hanging open at this point. They weren’t seriously going to-

‘Turn around!’ Growled Eric as Sophie replied with, ‘Every now and then I get a little bit lonely and you’re never coming round!’

Liz watched them making complete idiots of themselves up on the stage and her horror soon turned to amusment. Eric and Sophie were both so overly dramatic and drunk that their antics were no longer a parody of hers but something else all together.

Eric’s singing didn’t distract him from Michael’s drunken calls of, ‘Take it off!’ and he was soon bare to the waist as he stripped from his tuxedo jacket, tie, cummerbund and shirt.

Liz gaped in amazement at Eric’s chiselled chest and murmered to herself as her all her girlfriends and her irreverent Grandmother whistled and cat called him, ‘Wow! Who knew he had that under his shirt…’

Max gave a possessive growl and clapped a hand over her eyes.

‘You’re a married woman, Liz! Avert your eyes!’

‘Hey! Just because I’m married doesn’t mean I’m blind! I can look and not touch!’ Max shook his head and kissed her almost witless to prove a point.

‘You just think about that when you get the urge to think about other men, Mrs Evans!’ smirked Max smugly as he watched Liz’s blank gaze finally dissapate.

When she finally regained her wits she was sad to see that Eric’s and Sophie’s duet was over.

She was heartened however when she realised that they had the wedding professionally taped and she would have this as blackmail worthy evidence.

She was also heartened when they began singing ‘Sexy Back’ by Justin Timberlake at the top of their lungs whilst grinding together and slapping Eric’s ass.

However, her happiness turned sour when both of Eric’s and Sophie’s parents removed them from the stage under the taunts of the unhappy crowd and band.

They were loudly booed (especially from all of Liz’s Roswell and Chicago friends) for their efforts and Liz’s Grandma and Grandpa even went so far as to throw the pink pebbles from the table decorations at them.

Liz had never had such a wonderful day in her life and as Max led her away to the car that would take her to the airport to have their honeymoon in Hawaii (courtesy of Liz’s Grandparents), Liz knew that things could only get better from here. She and Max were together and nothing else mattered.

The End (Watch out for the Epilogue)

Songs in this part
'How Am I Supposed To Live Without You' by Michael Bolton
'Iris' by The Goo Goo Dolls
'Total Eclipse Of The Heart' by Bonnie Tyler
I think that's it.

[Rowedog]

EPILOGUE

The Next September

‘Liz? Where do you want this?’ asked Serena as she stumbled through the door of Liz and Max’s new apartment laden with a heavy box.

‘Just put it in the bedroom for now.’ Replied Liz as she unpacked the kitchen supplies.

Serena’s grunts and groans could be heard throughout the whole floor as she trudged through to the bedroom.

Liz and Max had barely had time to recover from their honeymoon as they both had to take summer school to make up for their prolonged absence from Havard.

They had attended classes after returning from their honeymoon but hadn’t taken any of their exams. They had been pushed back until they had caught up with what they had missed over the summer. Luckily they had both been able to concentrate well enough on their studies to pass with ease.

Finally emerging from the bedroom after having severe words with the box about it’s heaviness, Serena joined Liz in the kitchen.

‘I can’t believe you’re married! By the way, it was a beautiful ceremony. I’m so glad that everything worked out for the two of you!’ she exclaimed brightly as she sat herself on the kitchen bench.

‘Thankyou. Now make yourself useful and help me with this crap.’

Serena sighed and began unwrapping the tupperware from the newspaper that it was encased in for travelling.

As the bin steadily made it’s way to overflowing, Max joined them from the living room where he’d been connecting the tv and stereo system and wrapped his arms around Liz’s middle resting his head on top of hers.

‘How’s it all going in here?’ he asked before pressing a kiss to the side of her neck. His affectionnate display was short lived, however, as Serena threw a piece of crumpled up newspaper at him, hitting him in the face.

‘Hey! Wait until I’m gone before you start the nookie!’ cried Serena with as much seriousness as she could muster.

Rolling his eyes, Max then remembered something he had heard from Michael the other day.

‘Oh! Guess who’s been giving Tess a taste of her own medicine?’

Liz and Serena looked at him with interest, Serena having met Tess whilst getting ready for Liz’s wedding.

She was not impressed by her efforts to get Max alone even though he was going to be married in few days time.

‘Who?’ asked Liz, completely stumped as to who could be giving Tess a hard time.

With a smirk, Max replied, ‘Tom.’

Seeing Serena and Liz’s stunned looks, he added, ‘Turns out that he met her one day before the wedding and she propositioned him. Tom, who was completely smitten by her large breasts and blonde hair, readily accepted and now Tess is repenting like mad.’

‘Why?’ asked Serena with confusion clearly written on her face.

‘Tom, as you know, can be a little intense and it turns out that he has become a complete bunny boiler. He spent the whole summer in Roswell being her very own personal stalker.’

Serena and Liz burst into loud laughter at this news.

‘Oh… that’s… poetic justice!’ gasped Liz between laughs as she leant into Max’s chest.

Once she and Ser had suitably calmed down Max explained how Tom had made Tess see the error of her slutty ways and how she had now taken up abstinence for the time being.

‘Hopefully now she’ll be a little more picky and less inclined to stalk you.’ Stated Liz thoughtfully.

‘Pickier, yes. But let’s not rule her out in the stalking arena just yet.’

Replied Max whilst unwrapping yet another frivolous kitchen item.

‘Liz, what do we need a banana hammock for?’ asked Max with clear disdain colouring his tone.

Liz turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. ‘For when the bananas get tired and want to relax, silly.’ She purred before kissing him teasingly.

‘Hey! Still here you know! I told you, no nookie till I leave.’

‘Are you still here?’

************

Serena picked up the last piece of unwrapped kitchenware and tossed it’s wrapper in the bin, exclaiming proudly, ‘Done!’

Jumping off the bench, she turned to Max and Liz and exclaimed happily, ‘I’ll leave you two love birds to it. My best friend from home shipped me up like three months worth of ‘Neighbours’ and I have some serious catching up to do. I can’t wait to see if Dr Karl and Susan have broken up again…’

Serena’s voice trailed off as she skipped out of the door and Max asked with caution, ‘Do I want to know what ‘Neighbours’ is?’

Liz giggled and turned to wrap her arms around Max’s middle.
‘It’s an Australian soapie. Like The Bold and The Beautiful except with no soliloquys and it incorporates the words ‘spiggin huftas’.’

‘What on earth is that?!’

Liz laughed again. ‘It’s a way for them to insult someone without actually swearing. Serena made me watch an episode and I swear it’s so convaluted and incestuous it could give Days of Our Lives a run for it’s money.’

Max’s eyes darkened when he realised that they were finally alone.

Having regained all his strength after his surgery, Max swept Liz up into his arms and gated out huskily, ‘As much as I love Australian TV Dramas, discussing them isn’t really what I want to be doing right now.’

Liz gulped audibly as she caught the look in his eyes. ‘And, uh, what exactly did you have in mind?’ she asked breathlessly, her heart beating erratically in her chest.

‘I was thinking of a little house christening.’ He replied as he sat her on the kitchen bench, stepping in between her thighs.

Liz’s breathing became laboured and her eyes fluttered shut when he began applying feather light kisses all over her exposed skin.

Framing her petite face between his hands, Max bent in and kissed her. Liz’s arms rose up and she tangled her hands through his hair, pulling him closer. She always wanted him closer.

She was just so grateful that she could share this with Max. Especially after the illness which had nearly claimed his life.

Somehow, Liz and Max found their way into the bedroom after a couple of stops in the living room, hallway and bathroom.

Lying completely spent and naked under the new covers of their bed, Liz idly traced the scar on Max’s abdomen. The scar that had given him a new lease on life.

Kissing the top of Liz’s head, Max glanced around their small bedroom and sighed apologetically, ‘I’m sorry I couldn’t give you the mansion you deserve Liz. You deserve so much better than this tiny little shack.’

Placing her hand on top of Max’s lips to stop him from going any further, Liz rolled her eyes and whispered back, ‘I don’t need a mansion Max. All I need is you.’

Snuggling back into his arms, Liz fell asleep promptly as Max was left to ponder her words.

She had spoken them with such certainty and honesty that it humbled Max. Max smiled down at his wife and promised himself that he would spend the rest of his life trying to deserve her love.

She had been so strong and so determined when he was sick and now it was her turn to be looked after.

Nestling his head into the pillows Max clutched Liz tighter to him and glowed at how right this felt. To have Liz in his arms, in their bed, in their apartment was the most natural thing in the world.

Yawning, Max felt lethargy take over and his eyes shut, his body preparing for recuperation. He was certainly going to need all the energy he could get when he woke up. There were still two more rooms left in the apartment to be ‘christened’…

Finito (For real this time)

A/N: Gosh this is very sad. I'm going to miss it. Thanks go to Drogyn for the banner and Clueless for the idea of making Max sick. I'd still be stuck wondering where to go from here if not for her.